The U visa is a program that helps immigrants who were victims of a crime. They cooperate with the authorities and are entitled to protection from being deported.
But delays at the citizenship and immigration department leave them on the verge of being expelled from the country.
This afternoon we spoke with attorney Mark Prada who represents 17 Parkland immigrant students and their families, a total of about 60 people. He has just filed a lawsuit in federal court in Miami with the aim of obtaining a parole for all of them and stopping a possible deportation.
“We are trying to force the rights of these people through the Court because by law they have the right to parole, but immigration for whatever reason has never granted it,” says Prada.
Congress only authorizes 10,000 U visas per year, and that would be one of the problems.
Andrea Montavon, Immigration Attorney, says: “Congress created the U Visa with the purpose of encouraging immigrants, especially undocumented immigrants, to report when they are victims of crimes and collaborate with the authorities, without fear of arrest and deportation”.
The delay in the granting of the U visa is also a difficulty to study, to leave the country, because if they do, they will not be able to re-enter, and work.
Jhonatan Urrutia, representative of “Legal Aid Services, says:
“Immigration experiences long processing times. We are talking about a work permit in the deferred action category of 11 to 12 months.”
In February of this year, we heard about several cases with this problem, one of them was that of the Oliveira family, whom lawyer Prada represents.
Alessandra Arenales, her daughter Bruna is a Parkland survivor, says:
“After all the suffering we went through, it was the least, but I lost my job, my child can’t work either and my husband can’t work either”
“We’re talking about a wait that could be 19 years from an approved U-Visa if someone submits it today.”
The delays have stretched so long that Congress authorized the immigration department to issue work permits to petitioners who had a pending application, a policy adopted in 2021, but the delays still continue.
Keep in mind that victims of shootings, assaults, domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and stalking may qualify for a U visa. They must have a statement from the police saying they cooperated with the investigation.
