Amid Unprecedented Influx, Supporting Immigrant Survivors of Domestic Violence
By Nathalie Lebron, Policy Associate
The NMIC’s Domestic Violence Project provides holistic and wraparound services to immigrant survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). The goal is to empower survivors by promoting safety, self- sufficiency, and emotional well-being.
New York has a proud, rich history of being a haven for immigrants seeking to start anew for themselves and their families. In 2018, 4.4 million immigrants resided in New York, accounting for 23 percent of the New York population. In all of 2019, right before the pandemic, New York saw 33,818 immigrants come to the city; since the spring of 2022 alone, New York has welcomed 21,700 asylum seekers from different parts of Latin America. This unprecedented influx of immigration and the challenges that come with it mean these immigrants—especially those with families—face unique and complex challenges when navigating housing, legal, and other social service systems. These challenges are even greater for immigrants who are experiencing or are survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV).
IPV rates among immigrant women is 49.8 percent, three times higher than the national average. Sixty-five percent of immigrant people experiencing IPV also report some form of immigrant-related abuse. Undocumented women experiencing IPV are particularly vulnerable to these types of abuse, due to fear their immigration status will be exploited by their partner or that reporting their abusers will leave them susceptible to deportation. Considering these staggering rates and the barriers that immigrants face, it is essential to have culturally responsive services that meet their needs.
IPV rates among immigrant women is 49.8 percent, three times higher than the national average.
The Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC) runs the Domestic Violence Project (DVP), a grassroots, community-based program that serves Spanish-speaking New Yorkers. The program provides healing-centric and trauma-specific services for survivors and their families, using an intersectional approach that combines skill-building, empowerment, safety, and emotional support. NMIC operates under a unique settlement house model, which has additional services for survivors such as housing, employment, immigration and legal services, and economic empowerment—opening doors to the services historically difficult for immigrants to connect with.
Through funding from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and guidance from ISLG, NMIC used Criminal Justice Investment Initiative (CJII) funding to expand their clinical support staff, community outreach team, and economic empowerment services that are inclusively geared to immigrant survivors. From 2020 to 2021, during the height of the pandemic, DVP served 485 survivors, providing essential services to immigrant families. DVP’s program successfully expanded its offerings and effectively collaborated with organizations to increasing their services to survivors by:
Creating Community for Survivors
META (Mujeres Empoderadas y Talentosas Avanzando) was created in March 2018 as a confidential, members-only WhatsApp group for Spanish-speaking survivors. Almost daily, the WhatsApp red, or network, shares resources, opportunities, and psychoeducational materials centered around hope, resilience, and cultural affirmations. META served as an integral resource during the height of the pandemic where isolation, loss, and fear were at a height. Today, more than 350 survivors participate.
DVP partnered with the New York Women’s Chamber of Commerce to offer domestic violence training at beauty shops and other establishments visited primarily by women. Through this partnership, DVP created discrete English-language business cards to distribute to women for whom having NMIC or DVP materials may be unsafe.
Promoting Financial Independence
DVP helped launch two worker Cooperatives—Ecomundo and Nannybee. Ecomundo is a green cleaning cooperative that provides commercial and residential cleaning services. Nannybee, on the other hand, provides children with care and is centered on community needs and values. Both cooperatives are owned and run by workers.
DVP collaborated with fellow CJII grantee Sanctuary for Families for the Spanish-language Economic Empowerment Program. Survivors received laptops, hotspots, computer training, and professional development opportunities. Thirteen DVP clients have successfully completed the course and made valuable steps towards improving their self-esteem and financial independence.
Through a partnership with New Women New Yorkers, DVP offers the Bridge to LEAD program, a series of professional development workshops with the goal of empowering immigrant women to pursue higher education or find meaningful employment. The program offers critical knowledge and skills relating to job searching, workplace culture, and English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) practice.
Wraparound Holistic Services
Survivors receive innovative healing services focused on restorative health, such as meditative practices, artistic expression, and spirituality.
During the height of COVID-19, NMIC offered financial wraparound support which consisted of helping survivors apply for the Excluded Workers’ Fund, while also delivering food and resources to survivors. These services were crucial in reducing the financial constraints for undocumented survivors who were ineligible for unemployment and pandemic relief/stimulus.
Immigration Awareness
NMIC created a Spanish infographic brochure explaining the U-Visa process. The NMIC team who worked on this brochure consisted of immigration attorneys, counselors, and survivors, as well as a graphic designer who worked on gender-based violence campaigns in Puerto Rico. The trifold color brochure is a valuable tool for survivors coping with healing and the immigration process
As immigrant families arrive in our cities, we must be mindful of the challenges they face when navigating complex systems and building a new life in a different country. It is essential to support grassroots organizations like NMIC that work with communities and serve those who are the most vulnerable. We must do our part to push for equitable policies and uplift the voices of marginalized communities.
Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash.