The Florida Bar Foundation

Immigrant advocate helps women living in fear

“Mary,” an elderly Haitian woman, shyly lifted her loose-fitting dress to reveal scores of scars on her legs. The scars -- a result of repeated whippings with electrical cords -- ranged from pink to brown, with all shades in between. 

Mary’s husband, a Haitian native and U.S. citizen, had flogged her mercilessly throughout the course of their decades-long marriage.

After filing an I-360 VAWA application, a self-petition to obtain lawful permanent residency, Mary had to show proof of the abuse.

But until Mary met attorney Sabrina Salomon, the scars had remained a closely guarded secret. At the time, Salomon was an Equal Justice Works Fellow with the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center in Miami. Today, she is a staff attorney there.

With patience and understanding, Salomon was able to obtain the necessary proof to help Mary become a lawful permanent resident. Since then, she has helped many women in similar situations.

Salomon was awarded the EJW fellowship to represent low-income Haitian immigrant women and children who are victims of domestic violence.  Salomon named her project Nou Kab -- Creole for “we can.”

“I chose the name,” Salomon said, “because the goal is to empower survivors of domestic violence to take charge of their future and that of their community.”

The EJW fellowship is sponsored in part by The Florida Bar Foundation, and Equal Justice Works, a national program for public-interest law. Salomon’s project was made possible through a matching donation from Mellon United National Bank in Miami.

Had it not been for financial support from Mellon and The Florida Bar Foundation, Salomon said she probably would have joined a law firm or gone into private practice.

And if she had gone into private practice, she probably would not have had the financial capability to do this type of advocacy. Her present clients “are very poor, with no income, generally,” Salomon said. “And big firms typically do not do that kind of work.”