Domestic Violence, Immigration & Trafficking Teleconference

Domestic violence service providers and state coalitions often wrestle with the complex impact of immigration and trafficking on the women they serve.&&Federal laws are confusing and victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and trafficking are often caught in a system that hurts rather than helps.& How can we address this problem? This question was the basis for the teleconference discussion, which addressed the following issues:

• Current and future policies affecting battered immigrants and victims of trafficking
• Access to benefits for battered immigrants
• The Violence Against Women Act

Speakers for teleconference were:&

• Amanda Baran, Staff Attorney, Immigrant Women Program, Legal Momentum: Advancing Women's Rights &
• Melanie Orhant, Staff Attorney, Equal Justice Works Fellow & Frederick B. Abramson Fellow, PATIRN (Program to Assist Trafficked Individuals' Rights and Needs)
• Allison Randall, Public Policy Specialist, National Network to End Domestic Violence (Teleconference Facilitator)