Pathways

Building Trust with Immigrant Victims of Violence (Part 1 of 2)

In this episode, Shannon Archer, Assistant County Attorney, Polk County, Iowa; Christopher Freeman, Senior Assistant County Attorney, Hennepin County, Minnesota; and Elliot Casey from the Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorney Services Council discuss the fundamentals of building trust with immigrant victims of crime in the United States. Doing so requires humility and the willingness to be continuously learning, while making sure to listen and ask the right questions to build an understanding of victims' needs and experiences. The prosecutor panelists stress the need for prosecutors to manage victims' expectations, provide accurate information, and maintain consistent communication. Finally, the discussion touches on the challenges of working with immigrant victims, including misinformation and the fear of immigration consequences, and the role of the U Visa in protecting communities and enhancing cooperation with immigrant victims.
 
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Best Practices for Building Collaborations Among Victim Advocates, Law Enforcement, Prosecution, and Attorneys to Effectively Serve Immigrant Survivors

In the last episode of this four-part series, Suzanne Ramos, Victim Advocate at the Reno City Attorney’s Office in Reno, NV, Yvette Richardson from The National Network to End Domestic Violence, Elliot Casey from the Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorney Services Council, and Leslye Orloff, Director of NIWAP at the American University Washington College of Law continue their conversation discussing best practices for building and maintaining relationships between agencies assisting victims in a manner that complies with VAWA confidentiality rules. They also talk about connecting survivors with resources and how to best advocate for survivors in the community.
 
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Role of Victim Advocates Accompanying Immigrant Survivors Seeking Health Care and Other Benefits and Services

In this episode, Suzanne Ramos, Victim Advocate at the Reno City Attorney’s Office in Reno, NV, Yvette Richardson from The National Network to End Domestic Violence, Elliot Casey from the Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorney Services Council, and Leslye Orloff, Director of NIWAP at the American University Washington College of Law continue their conversation on the important role victim advocates play in helping immigrant survivors access the benefits and services they and their children are legally eligible to receive. This conversation focuses particularly on Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) compensation available to assist victims with post-assault health care and other costs associated with victimization. The episode includes a discussion of the varied forms of VOCA and VAWA assistance available to help victims of domestic and sexual violence and other crimes.
 
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Victim Advocacy for Immigrant Survivors: Benefits and Services Safety Net

In this episode, Suzanne Ramos, Victim Advocate at the Reno City Attorney’s Office in Reno, NV, Yvette Richardson from The National Network to End Domestic Violence, Elliot Casey from the Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorney Services Council, and Leslye Orloff, Director of NIWAP at the American University Washington College of Law continue their conversation on the role of victim advocates working with immigrant survivors. They discuss options for victims who are trapped with their perpetrators and how the visa process, or in some cases, children, can be used as weapons and how to solve and overcome those barriers. They also talk about NIWAP’s web library and the benefits and services available to assist survivors.
 
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Importance of Victim Advocacy and Advocates’ Roles in Working with Immigrant Survivors

In this episode, Suzanne Ramos, Victim Advocate at the Reno City Attorney’s Office in Reno, NV, Yvette Richardson from The National Network to End Domestic Violence, Elliot Casey from the Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorney Services Council, and Leslye Orloff, Director of NIWAP at the American University Washington College of Law, talk about victim advocacy, particularly advocacy for immigrant survivors regarding access to public benefits. They discuss how information on services is made available to immigrant survivors, the challenges they face from prosecutors and law enforcement regarding the U Visa program, and how the work of victim advocates complements the work of law enforcement, prosecutors, and attorneys.
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Breaking Down Barriers for Immigrant Victims of Elder Abuse

In this episode, Investigator Michael LaRiviere from the Salem, Massachusetts Police Department, and Tara Patet, Supervising Prosecutor at the City Attorney’s Office in St. Paul, Minnesota, continue to talk about barriers to cooperation and how to overcome them, the rates of underreported elder abuse in immigrant communities, how to take advantage of resources in the community, and what sorts of mechanisms exist to encourage cooperation in current cases. Additionally, the speakers discuss the U Visa, VAWA self-petitions, and how those programs can assist immigrant survivors of abuse. They also talk about the importance of community advocacy, resources like Adult Protective Services, and outreach to community organizations that work with seniors.
 
More information:Non-Citizen Victims and Survivors of Elder Abuse
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Identifying and Supporting Non-Citizen Victims and Survivors of Elder Abuse

In this episode, Rocio Molina, Deputy Director of NIWAP at the American University Washington College of Law, Investigator Michael LaRiviere from the Salem, Massachusetts Police Department, and Tara Patet, Supervising Prosecutor at the City Attorney’s Office in St. Paul, Minnesota, talk about elder abuse, especially in immigrant communities. The guests discuss what encompasses elder abuse and how to identify the different forms of elder abuse. They address the challenges and barriers to reporting elder abuse and the need for resources, especially around the importance of using qualified interpreters in these cases. They also engage in discussion on how to overcome some of these barriers and how the medical community, law enforcement, and prosecution can effectively work collaboratively in elder abuse cases.
Non-Citizen Victims and Survivors of Elder Abuse
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Interpretation and Translation Best Practice for Law Enforcement Working With Immigrant Crime Victims and Witnesses (Part 2 of 2).

In this episode, Leslye Orloff, Director of NIWAP at the American University Washington College of Law, Detective Shelli Sonnenberg from the Boise, Idaho Police Department, and Investigator Michael LaRiviere from the Salem, Massachusetts Police Department continue their conversation around how law enforcement agencies can effectively use interpreters and translators to ensure successful outcomes in criminal investigations and prosecutions involving limited English proficient crime victims and witnesses. They discuss the best practices for working with an interpreter, how to get the most accurate information, and reflect on past experiences with interpretation and translation issues, sharing lessons learned from real cases. They end with tips on how to bring interpretation and translation resources to other law enforcement agencies.
 
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Interpretation and Translation Best Practice for Law Enforcement Working With Immigrant Crime Victims and Witnesses (Part 1 of 2)

In this episode, Leslye Orloff, Director of NIWAP at the American University Washington College of Law, Detective Shelli Sonnenberg from the Boise, Idaho Police Department, and Investigator Michael LaRiviere from the Salem, Massachusetts Police Department talk about best practices for using interpreters and translators when working with limited English proficient (LEP) crime victims and witnesses. The podcast talks about working with immigrant communities where language and cultural barriers exist, the challenges that exist in working with immigrant communities, and the importance to successful criminal investigations and prosecutions of employing best law enforcement practices in serving immigrants with limited English proficiency. Faculty discuss best practices, available resources, and the importance for successful criminal investigations and prosecutions of using qualified interpreters.
 
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NIWAP YouTube Channel

Trial Strategies in U Visa Cases

In this episode, Leslye Orloff, Director of NIWAP at the American University Washington College of Law, Jane Anderson, an attorney advisor at Aequitas, and Christopher Freeman, a prosecutor from Hennepin County, MN, talk about trial strategies and preparation tactics for prosecutors, law enforcement, and victim advocates in cases involving U Visa witnesses, victims with U Visa applications, or those seeking some forms of U Visa relief. The podcast addresses some of the challenges and concerns that prosecutors have around U Visa cases and how to address those. They discuss the concerns around discovery obligations and issues that arise in cases where victims are pursuing U Visas, and direct listeners to the resources available on NIWAP’s website for discovery issues. The podcast focuses on trial preparation tips such as jury selection, litigating pretrial motions, court education, and how to address the U Visa issue on the witness stand.
 
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NIWAP YouTube Channel