Press Releases
Thomas Charitable Trust Awards Legal Aid $20,000 to Protect Non-Citizen Victims of Domestic Violence
West Palm Beach, FL - The William and Helen Thomas Charitable Foundation recently awarded Legal Aid's Non-Citizen Victims of Domestic Violence Project $20,000 to provide services to immigrant victims of abuse in order to protect their physical safety and help them obtain appropriate legal status in the United States.
Legal Aid's Executive Director, Bob Bertisch explained "Abusers of undocumented immigrant women control and isolate their victim through intimidation, destruction of their identification cards or passports, withholding financial support, keeping them from their children and threatening to have them deported. Unfortunately many of these victims believe they have no legal recourse in the United States to protect themselves from abuse and possible deportation. Legal Aid protects these victims by obtaining an immediate restraining order against the perpetrator and by filing the necessary documents with the INS to help them achieve appropriate legal status in the United States.
Legal Aid greatly appreciates the support of the William and Helen Thomas Charitable Trust in helping us to protect these vulnerable members in our community.
The Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, Inc., founded in 1949, is a private nonprofit, 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to providing free legal services to disadvantaged children, families, elders and individuals living in Palm Beach County. Projects include the Domestic Violence Project, Juvenile Advocacy Project, Foster Children's Project, Ryan White Project, Fair Housing Project and Elder Law Project.
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West Palm Beach, FL - The William and Helen Thomas Charitable Foundation recently awarded Legal Aid's Non-Citizen Victims of Domestic Violence Project $20,000 to provide services to immigrant victims of abuse in order to protect their physical safety and help them obtain appropriate legal status in the United States.
Legal Aid's Executive Director, Bob Bertisch explained "Abusers of undocumented immigrant women control and isolate their victim through intimidation, destruction of their identification cards or passports, withholding financial support, keeping them from their children and threatening to have them deported. Unfortunately many of these victims believe they have no legal recourse in the United States to protect themselves from abuse and possible deportation. Legal Aid protects these victims by obtaining an immediate restraining order against the perpetrator and by filing the necessary documents with the INS to help them achieve appropriate legal status in the United States.
Legal Aid greatly appreciates the support of the William and Helen Thomas Charitable Trust in helping us to protect these vulnerable members in our community.
The Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, Inc., founded in 1949, is a private nonprofit, 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to providing free legal services to disadvantaged children, families, elders and individuals living in Palm Beach County. Projects include the Domestic Violence Project, Juvenile Advocacy Project, Foster Children's Project, Ryan White Project, Fair Housing Project and Elder Law Project.