Reuters
April 21, 2015
Undocumented
immigrants in California who are violent crime victims would have the
same chance to apply for a special U.S. visa regardless of where in the
state the crime
occurred, under a bill that passed a state Senate committee on Tuesday.
The
federal government grants visas to undocumented immigrants who help law
enforcement try to catch criminals. The so-called U-visa allows the
recipient to live and work
in the United States for four years, but to apply, a victim must first
ask local law enforcement to verify their cooperation.
A
Reuters investigation last year found vast geographic disparities in
law enforcement approaches to this visa, with some agencies readily
verifying cooperation and others
stonewalling.
The
California bill, passed unanimously by the state Senate Public Safety
Committee on Tuesday, comes as immigration reform has stalled at the
federal level. It is part
of a package of bills called "Immigrants Shape California," introduced
by Senate and Assembly leadership in the nation's most populous state.
"We
wanted to send a very clear message to Washington DC, that legislators
around the country have to do their jobs," said Senate President Pro Tem
Kevin de Leon, a Los
Angeles Democrat.
The
U-visa bill would require California law enforcement to verify a
victim's cooperation within 90 days, unless the agency can demonstrate
that the victim was uncooperative.
If the victim is in the process of being deported, the timeframe
shrinks to 14 days.
If
passed, California would be the first state to mandate that law
enforcement sign U-visa certifications in a particular timeframe. A
representative for Governor Jerry
Brown, a Democrat, declined to comment on the bill.
The
Reuters report made public for the first time federal data on U-visa
certifications. It found, for example, that Oakland, California, has
less than 5 percent of New
York's population, yet law enforcement there verified 2,992 immigrants
during the same period - more than twice as many as New York.
Meanwhile Sacramento, California, has a slightly higher population than Oakland, but verified just 300 crime victims.
The
bill is expected to be considered by the Senate Appropriations
committee in the next few weeks, and then could proceed to a floor vote.
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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