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Tell Congress to Eliminate the Cap on Crime Victim Visas
  1. Signatures
    398 out of 500
    Petitioning
    1. The President of the United States (+ 2 others)
      Petitioning
      close
      • The President of the United States
      • The U.S. Senate
      • The U.S. House of Representatives
  2. Created By
    Change.org
About this Petition Petition Letter

U visas, also known as crime victim visas, are providing to undocumented immigrants who are the victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, human trafficking, or other violent crimes who cooperate with law enforcement to put the perpetrators behind bars.

These visas can have a real impact on reducing violent crime and human trafficking by encouraging undocumented victims who otherwise fear detention and deportation to go to the authorities.

However, these visas are capped at 10,000, and this fiscal year's supply have already been used up. The government should not be imposing an arbitrary limit on visas that should go to every victim who qualifies.

Think about it this way: 10,000 victims visas means 10,000 violent criminals who law enforcement is able to investigate and prosecute. We should offer as many visas as there are victims, to protect both those individuals and the public from as many dangerous criminals as possible.

Tell Congress to do away with the cap on crime victim visas.

Photo credit: mrsraggle

Recent Signatures

Eliminate the Cap on Crime Victim Visas

Dear Member of Congress,

Created as part of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection act of 2000, the U visa, or crime victim visa, is available to undocumented victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking, and some other crimes who cooperate with law enforcement to put the perpetrators behind bars. It gives someone whose life was torn apart by violence or enslavement the chance to start anew in America on the right side of the law.

These visas have the potential to have a real impact on reducing violent crime and human trafficking. Undocumented victims of domestic abuse or sexual assault are often afraid to go to the authorities, for fear that they will be detained and deported, instead of their assailant. Human traffickers often use harsh immigration laws to their benefit by convincing those they are enslaving that if they go to the authorities they will be tossed in jail for being illegally in the country.

Unfortunately, all 10,000 U visas for this year have been used up, and the next round won't be available until October. And while victims who are currently cooperating with authorities can be given temporary status until the visas become available again, every year the backlog will increase. =

Instead of putting an arbitrary cap on visas that should automatically be issued to anybody who qualifies, the federal government should make U visas unlimited and focus on making a concerted effort to get the word about their existence.

10,000 victims visas means 10,000 violent criminals who law enforcement is able to investigate and prosecute. We should offer as many visas as there are victims, to protect both those individuals and the public from as many dangerous criminals as possible.

As one of your constituents, I am asking you to please work toward legislation to eliminate the cap on crime victim visas.

[Your name]

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