Press Releases
Rep. Titus Calls to Lift Cap on Visas
Washington, DC,
May 25, 2016
May 19, 2016
Rep. Titus announces that she will be working on legislation to lift a cap on a program that offers undocumented immigrants a visa if they work with law enforcement to help catch criminals. May 19, 2016
Las Vegas – Congresswoman Dina Titus and Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada Executive Director Barbara Buckley will partner on Friday to discuss a backlog in a federal law enforcement program that offers visas to undocumented immigrants who are victims of crimes. A local family who may benefit from the program will join Rep. Titus and Director Buckley. Language barriers, fear of deportations, and other factors make immigrants less likely to speak up and more vulnerable to criminal activity like human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and other crimes, according to the Department of Homeland Security. In 2000, Congress passed The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Prevention Act, which allows up to 10,000 undocumented immigrants to receive a U visa if they work with law enforcement to help report criminals. Last year U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services received 30,106 petitions from families across the nation. The agency currently has more than 60,000 petitions pending. “This backlog is one of the many reasons we need comprehensive immigration reform,” Rep. Titus said. “Until we achieve that, the U visa program is a valuable tool to help bring together law enforcement and victims of crimes. We need to let our community know that there are options to keep families together and make our streets safer. With that in mind, I will be working with stakeholders in our community and nationally to pass legislation that lifts the current U visa cap and streamline the application process.” “Some of the most vulnerable people in our community are at risk because they are afraid to come out of the shadows and report crimes against them,” Buckley said. “By bringing together victims of violent crimes and law enforcement, U visas help to build better relationships in our community and keep families together.”
Rep. Dina Titus Where: Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada When: 10:00am – 10:30am |