New Effort Aims to Protect Immigrants and Refugees through Clergy Outreach and Academic Research

LOWELL  – On Thursday, February 26, at 11a.m., Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and community partners from 28 public, nonprofit, and private agencies will announce a new initiative in the City of Lowell to better protect immigrant and refugee victims of domestic violence.    

Recognizing that immigrants and refugees face complex and unique barriers to accessing help, and that this population -- according to research -- is at an increased risk for homicide committed by a spouse or dating partner, District Attorney Ryan collaborated with The Center For Hope and Healing, the University of Massachusetts Lowell and over two dozen agencies from The Greater Lowell Evaluation and Advocacy Network (GLEAN), to apply for and receive a grant from the state Department of Public Health.  The grant will be used to engage and partner with clergy leaders in raising awareness with immigrant communities about the legal rights and resources available to them, and to conduct research that will help to inform the practices of law enforcement and other stakeholders in addressing domestic violence in immigrant communities.

Middlesex County demographics continue to reflect a trend of newcomers from overseas nations.  Close to 20% of the county's population is foreign-born, 5% above the state average.  Twenty-five percent of households in Middlesex County speak a language other than English at home.  Of the 10 most populated immigrant communities in the state,half are in Middlesex County, including they City Lowell.  Lowell has the second largest Cambodian population in the United States, as well as large Vietnamese, Brazilian and Kenyan communities.