WASHINGTON, D.C. — Leaders of the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force (LEITF) are expressing concerns after recent reports that immigrant victims of crime have been deported while waiting for a decision about U visas.

According to official data, close to half a million immigrants are awaiting decisions on U visa applications — established by Congress to protect from deportation immigrants who assist law enforcement.

Legislative proposals such as the Immigrant Witness and Victim Protection Act, recently reintroduced by Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-California), would help address backlogs and ensure that immigrant victims and witnesses are protected.

“For us in the field, U visas play a key role in fostering trust within immigrant communities, since they represent an opportunity to protect victims of crime who lack legal status,” said LEITF co-chair Chief Chad Kasmar of Tucson, Arizona. “When immigrants feel safe in reporting crimes, it strengthens the community’s safety.”

“U visas encourage crime victims and witnesses to come forward, regardless of their immigration status,” said co-chair Chief Ruben Quesada of Swampscott, Massachusetts. “Law enforcement officers can promise some sort of protection as they cooperate in a crime investigation. Seeing others being deported will only undermine our work.”

“Petitioners often endure years of waiting for their U visa cases to be resolved. The threat of deportation not only deters other victims from cooperating with law enforcement — it risks years of progress in building trust within our communities,” said retired Chief Michael Tupper of Marshalltown, Iowa.

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