ACTION ALERT: CALL SENATOR SPECTER NOW

 

Call Senator Arlen Specter's office now urging him to support the

nomination of Eric Holder as Attorney General!!! Violence against

women groups, immigrant rights groups and anti-trafficking groups are

urging you to call Senator Specter immediately and let him know it is

important to women's groups, immigrant women's advocates, crime

victims and victims of trafficking, domestic violence and sexual

assault, including immigrant women, that he support the nomination of

Eric Holder for Attorney General.

 

Washington DC office: 202-772-5806

 

For more information, please read the letter below.

 

January 13, 2009

 

Senator Patrick Leahy

Senator Arlen Specter

 

Chairman

Ranking Member

 

Judiciary Committee

Judiciary Committee

 

Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 224 Dirksen

Senate Office Building, Room 152

 

Washington, D.C. 20510

Washington, D.C. 20510

 

Re: Nomination of Eric Holder for Attorney General

 

Dear Chairman Leahy and Ranking Member Specter,

 

We are writing as the National Network to End Violence

Against Immigrant Women (Network)[1] to express our strong and

unequivocal support for Eric Holder for Attorney General. The U.S.

Department of Justice is one of the federal agencies charged with

ensuring that these laws are enforced in states and by the federal

government in a manner that is sensitive to immigrant victims' safety.

We strongly support Mr. Holder to become Attorney General of the

United States because throughout his career he has demonstrated a deep

understanding of the impact that crime victimization has had on the

lives of women and children in the United States. Both as a judge and

as a prosecutor, Mr. Holder has repeatedly demonstrated the true

sensitivity to the needs of immigrant victims from diverse communities

that is rare to encounter.

 

The Network, through its Washington representative Legal

Momentum, has worked for many years with Democratic and Republican

members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees crafting policy

legislation that accomplishes dual purposes – promoting successful

prosecution of perpetrators who commit crimes against immigrant women

and children and securing a range or legal protections including

protection from retaliation through deportation for immigrant crime

victims and their children.

 

Our bipartisan work with the House and the Senate over the

course of 15 years has led to inclusion of protections and

humanitarian assistance for immigrant crime victims in numerous pieces

of legislation. This legislation has been successful in supporting

victims and helping them find the courage to come forward and

collaborate with law enforcement officials in prosecuting the

criminals who subjected them to human trafficking, domestic violence,

child abuse, sexual assault and other often violent crimes. We have

worked closely with many Senators in drafting and securing passage of

several pieces of legislation that have dramatically improved safety

for immigrant crime victim in the United States and have increased the

ability of federal and state prosecutors to convict perpetrators.

These include particularly: The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of

1994 (Kennedy, Biden, Simpson, Hatch); VAWA Confidentiality and Access

to Benefits for Immigrant Victims in the Illegal Immigration Reform

and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (Simpson, Kennedy), Access to

Legal Services for Immigrant Victims (Kennedy 1997 and Durbin 2005),

VAWA 2000 and the Trafficking Victim's Protection Act of 2000

(Abraham, Brownback, Hatch, Kennedy, Biden, Leahy, Wellstone), VAWA

2005 (Specter, Biden, Kennedy, Leahy, Durbin, Brownback) and the

Trafficking Victims Protection and Reauthorization Act of 2008

(Brownback, Biden, Kennedy, Leahy).

 

One of the National Network's co-founding organizations

was Ayuda, a legal services program serving immigrant domestic

violence victims. In the 1980's, when Mr. Holder was a D.C. Superior

Court Judge, Ayuda attorneys appeared before him in numerous cases in

which they were representing immigration victims of domestic violence

seeking civil protection orders, child support and custody of their

children. Through personal experience in our work in D.C.

representing immigrant victims, we witnessed first hand how in his

role as a D.C. Superior Court Judge and as U.S. Attorney for the

District of Columbia, Mr. Holder routinely encountered victims and

litigants who came from a wide range of cultural backgrounds. He

always provided access to a fair trial for all.

 

We are certain that under his leadership the U.S. Justice System in

the United States will make great strides toward the goal of

guaranteeing that all crime victims are able to access the relief our

justice system has to offer, regardless of their cultural background,

language abilities, country of origin, or immigration status. Further

Mr. Holder has always recognized the importance of respecting victims

both as an act of compassion and more importantly, as an essential

component of good law enforcement

 

While serving as U.S. Attorney for the District of

Columbia, Mr. Holder showed great concern for victims of domestic

violence and child abuse. He created a specialized domestic violence

unit staffed with prosecutors specially trained to more effectively

handle cases of violence against women and their children. Mr. Holder

showed himself to be thoughtful, fair and determined to help those who

had been victimized receive justice and to help those who were accused

receive fair treatment. He also demonstrated his keen ability to offer

culturally appropriate assistance to victims and their families.

 

Mr. Holder is also a tireless advocate for the protection

of children from violence. As Deputy Attorney General, Mr. Holder led

several initiatives and projects aimed at improving services and

protections for victims. He directed the Justice Department's Children

Exposed to Violence Initiative, and in this capacity, he developed a

comprehensive strategy to improve the way child abuse cases were

handled and to minimize harm to traumatized children. His leadership

and advocacy on these issues at the Justice Department also extended

to supporting a strong victims' assistance program and launching the

Safe Start Initiative, designed to help children exposed to domestic

violence and other forms of violence. Our experience in the field and

as advocates has taught us that offering services for children exposed

to domestic violence is one of the single most effective strategies

for preventing physical, sexual and youth violence.

 

We know you will hear extensively about Mr. Holder's acute

legal mind, leadership abilities, and tough law enforcement

background. We would like you to also know that he has demonstrated

over the years a great compassion for victims of crime, including

immigrant and non-English speaking victims. He has equally

demonstrated a willingness to hold offenders accountable and the good

sense to simultaneously invest in prevention programs focused on

vulnerable youth as a means of ultimately breaking the cycle of violence.

 

Based on our knowledge of his record and our own personal

experiences, we ask that you confirm him as quickly and with as much

support as possible. Victims of violence of all cultural backgrounds,

including women and children who have been brutalized by family

violence and sexual abuse, need his leadership at the Department of

Justice. We ask that you support his nomination as vigorously as possible.

 

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Leslye E.

Orloff, Director, Immigrant Women Program, Legal Momentum 202-210-8886

or Kiersten Stewart at the Family Violence Prevention Fund, 202-682-1212.

 

Sincerely,

 

The National Network to End Violence Against Immigrant Women

 

Legal Momentum (Washington, D.C. and New York)

 

The Family Violence Prevention Fund (San Francisco, Boston,

Washington, D.C.)

 

ASISTA, Advanced Special Immigration for Survivors Technical

Assistance (Des Moines, Miami, Boston, San

Francisco, Seattle)

 

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[1] The Network is a 15-year old broad-based coalition

of over 3,000 organiza­tions and individuals that advocates for,

provides services, and offers assistance to immigrant victims of

domestic violence, trafficking, sexual assault and child abuse. Our

members include victim advocates, attorneys, social services

providers, immigrant survivors, educators, prosecutors, and other

professionals including experts who formerly worked in government as

DHS and law enforcement officials. We are committed to ending

violence against immigrant women, providing services, and offering

language accessible, culturally competent assistance to immigrant

victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and trafficking. The

Network is co-chaired by The Immigrant Women Program of Legal

Momentum, The Family Violence Prevention Fund and The ASISTA

Immigration Technical Assistance Project.