Montgomery County Councilmembers voted unanimously to strengthen their commitment to protecting victims of crime and those who help law enforcement officials solve crimes.
The goal of the bill is to “remove any barriers that would limit an immigrant’s opportunity to qualify for a U VISA application.”
Obtaining a U VISA grants nonimmigrant status and allows recipients to remain in the United States for up to four years and possibly more. It stands for Uplifting Victims and Immigrant Safety Act.
The council removed the current 10-year limit of when a crime occurred and required that its policy “be consistent and no more restrictive than allowed under federal immigration law,” according to the bill’s wording. The strengthened bill must be consistent with and not conflict with state law.
“We are having this conversation today, because residents of Montgomery County are frightened,” said Councilmember Evan Glass. “No one should be afraid to ask for help when they need it.”
Roughly 140 to 150 people request U VISAs here annually. They tend to be victims of domestic violence, rape and trafficking.
Immigrants “are the most reluctant to come forward” to either assist police when they witness a crime or ask for help for fear of deportation, Glass pointed out.
“We want to make sure more people come out of the shadows and receive help,” he said.
Councilmember Dawn Luedtke agreed, noting, “We want to do whatever we can to help build trust between our immigrant community and our public safety partners who can help them and do not want them to be further victimized.”
According to Luedtke, the 10-year limit was included, because when U VISAs were first introduced 25 years ago, records often were not digitalized and not kept very long.
To be eligible to apply for a U VISA petition, the person must be a victim of a felony crime, have suffered substantial physical or mental abuse as a result of a crime and have credible and reliable information that is helpful to law enforcement officials. The crime must have occurred in the United States.
Following passage of the legislation, County Police Chief Marc Yamada wrote in a news release, “The Montgomery County Department of Police looks forward to our continued partnership with our community members, pledging to serve as stewards in the U Visa program.”
He added, “Our promise is to serve our communities constitutionally, and in adherence to both state and federal law regardless of where you were born, what language you speak, or the color of your skin.”
