CARE provides confidential services, support, and related referrals to all survivors of interpersonal violence at UCSB, including students, staff, faculty, alumni, and connected community members. This includes survivors who are undocumented or from mixed-status families..
Experiencing violence as a person who is undocumented or from a mixed status family can present unique obstacles that can have a cumulative impact on one’s healing process. A survivor who is also navigating their undocumented or mixed family status faces unique considerations as they determine the best path to ensure their safety. The stigma, fear, and uncertainty that accompany being undocumented, or having loved ones who are undocumented, often serve as silencing factors that can put survivors at further risk of harm. These intersecting circumstances may present additional barriers to accessing available resources, including health care, law enforcement, the University, and other systems and organizations traditionally seen as part of the response to experiences of interpersonal violence.
CARE recognizes that each person’s path to UCSB is unique, and that experiences of trauma can be compounded by intergenerational or historical trauma.
CARE is here to support survivors with the impacts of direct experiences of violence, as well as those they carry with them from their past and familial contexts.
What's different about interpersonal violence for people who are undocumented?
Perpetrators often use their own or the survivor's immigration status as a threat or a silencing mechanism. These difficulties can also exist if the perpetrator is undocumented, and/or if the survivor comes from a mixed-status family.
In addition, a survivor who is undocumented may be experiencing trauma and vulnerability in various other ways, including:
- Isolation from family members and other social networks
- lack of familiarity with the U.S. legal system
- lack of confidence with language proficiency
Your Rights as a Survivor
Regardless of your immigration status, you have rights as a UCSB community member and as a survivor. You have the right to:
- Not be threatened with deportation by your institution, and to not disclose your immigration status. These are considered violations of both federal Title IX Compliance and Discrimination and Harassment Prevention policy and the Clery Act, as they actively discourage undocumented survivors from reporting.
- File an anonymous complaint either with the federal government or with your institution, or both. If you fear exposing your undocumented status, you are under no obligation to include your name or identifying information in your complaint(s).
- Report your case to law enforcement. Undocumented survivors can apply for a federal U-Visa, which protects survivors who are working with law enforcement from being deported. It is important to check in with an immigration attorney about individual considerations before applying for a U-Visa.
(Source: End Rape on Campus)
Confidentiality
The CARE office is a confidential resource on campus; what is said to a CARE advocate will not be shared with any other office on campus or with law enforcement officers without the explicit consent of the survivor.
The CARE office will never share information about a person's immigration status, or any other information about a person or their work with CARE, unless the survivor requests that specific information be shared with another individual or office to coordinate their care and services.CARE advocates recognize that reporting to law enforcement or the University do not feel like safe options for all survivors, and that undocumented survivors may experience heightened barriers to reporting. CARE will always support any path a survivor chooses with regard to their healing, whether or not they choose to engage with reporting.
Community & National Resources
CARE recognizes…
CARE recognizes that each individual may hold many of the different identities that our Communities we CARE for pages address. For more information on another identity, please go back to Communities we CARE for.
We support survivors from all backgrounds, the survivors that we serve are not limited to the identities listed on our Communities we CARE for page. If you do not see your identity listed, and would like to learn how interpersonal violence impacts you, please call our 24/7 confidential phone number at 805-893-4613 or make an appointment online to be connected with a confidential advocate.
Making an Appointment
with a CARE Advocate
Schedule a non-urgent appointment with a CARE Advocate.
For urgent and immediate assistance and to speak with a confidential staff member, please call our 24/7 CARE phone line at 805-893-4613. If you have an emergency or feel that you may be in immediate danger, please call 911.
If you have experienced a sexual assault within the last five days, call CARE at 805-893-4613 or navigate to the Medical section on our Advocacy Services page on our Survivor Services page to learn about the time-sensitive option to seek a free, confidential forensic medical exam.