Immigration and Labor Cases
Labor trafficking is modern day slavery. Labor trafficking is where an employer exerts power to place an employee in an inhumane situation. Examples of labor trafficking abuse include refusal to follow a labor contract, withholding of passports and other immigration documents, physical, mental, emotional and sexual abuse, restriction of communication and movement, and threats of deportation.
Damayan provides labor trafficking survivors the support they need to restore their freedom, secure their basic human rights, and move towards economic stability. Our services include helping survivors develop escape plans, secure emergency housing and financial assistance, access social and legal services such as mental health counseling and free/low-cost attorneys, find employment, and facilitate family reunifications.
Legal
Free or low cost attorney
Immigration or civil cases
Social services
Mental and emotional health (counseling)
Medical care (doctor)
Psychological evaluation (psychiatrist)
Referral to shelter or housing
Through our network of pro bono attorneys, we ensure labor trafficking survivors are able to apply for T Non-Immigrant Status Visa (T Visa). This program allows survivors to remain legally in the US, access basic services, and file cases against their traffickers. It also allows eligible survivors to file for T visa derivatives for their children and spouses, leading to successful family reunifications.
As part of our services, we assist workers without health insurance access basic primary care through collaborative health fairs and referrals. We also help workers experiencing labor abuse to retrieve unpaid wages and fight labor abuses and cases of fraud.
Damayan has helped workers recover more than $2 million in unpaid wages and helped 80 trafficking survivors receive special immigration protection and the ability to bring their families to the United States. As of November 2023, Damayan has won more than 80 “T” humanitarian visas for trafficking survivors, and made it possible for more than 38 survivors to reunite with their families, bringing about 78 children and 32 spouses to the United States.
If you are a Filipino domestic worker or trafficked worker in need of help or have questions, or a friend or loved one of a worker, please contact Lydia Catina-Amaya, Damayan Organizer and Case Manager, at lydia@damayanmigrants.org or at (212) 564-6057.