Senator Peralta Announces State Grant to Her Justice to Fund a Program to Help Women Access the Legal System

Today, State Senator Jose Peralta announced that he helped secure a $100,000 state allocation for Her Justice, a nonprofit organization that provides free legal help to women living in poverty in New York City. Her Justice, in cooperation with volunteer attorneys from law firms across the City, helps thousands of women in family, divorce and immigration matters. All of their immigration clients have been abused by their partners, and seek safe routes to legal immigration status in the United States.

Her Justice and volunteer attorneys under their guidance advise women about their rights and options for applying for legal status in the United States. Some of the most common cases include U Visas, for undocumented women who are victims of crimes and are likely to help in the investigation of the crime; self-petition for battered spouses and children, for survivors of domestic violence who have married citizens or legal residents; and T Visas, for individuals who have been sex trafficked.      

"Her Justice is celebrating its 25^th anniversary, which means, that we are all celebrating 25 years of success, of supporting women who have been victims of crimes obtain legal immigration status in our nation. These are life-changing visas, not only for at-risk women, but also for their children. Through their work, Her Justice gives back life to many women who have suffered. We must ensure we are able to help victims of gender-based violence, especially under this political climate in which the White House has made attacking our hard-working immigrants a priority. I am glad I was able to secure state funding for an organization that provides critical services to women and children in need,” said Senator Peralta.    

“We are grateful for Senator Peralta’s support and recognition of our work,” said Executive Director Amy Barasch. “We have been assisting women living in poverty for 25 years, but now more than ever we must reach out to scared communities to ensure that they are aware of the legal remedies available to them.  We cannot let fear be a barrier to access to justice.”

“In this current heightened climate of fear, immigrant victims are hesitant to report crimes committed against them or even seek legal assistance,” said Director, Legal Services, Hamra Ahmad. “This support will help us increase outreach to inform immigrants of their rights and identify clients in need of critical legal services.”

Her Justice is a nonprofit organization that takes a ‘pro bono first’ approach to the provision of legal services to low-income women living in poverty across the five boroughs in the City. Its staff include a legal team composed of a director, 12 staff attorneys and four paralegals. Additionally, more than 80 law firms and corporations provide free legal counsel and other services to the women they assist.