MINNEAPOLIS — Although immigrants make up 13% of Hennepin County's residents, County Attorney Mary Moriarty says they are much less likely to report a crime — especially noncitizens.
"Including fear of deportation, this means that victims are afraid to report domestic violence, sexual violence, and trafficking, among other types of crimes," Moriarty said.
Now Moriarty is announcing a new policy to certify U or T visas for crime victims — which allows them to stay in the U.S. legally — and removes the element of fear in reporting crimes.
Congress created U & T Visas nearly 25 years ago to protect trafficking victims.
But Moriarty and her staff say that prior to her administration, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office put up barriers for victims to obtain them.
"Before this policy, the office would rarely, if ever, certify a U or T visa request when a case was being actively prosecuted. In other words, victims would have to wait until their case had ended. That meant victims were left anxiously wondering if they would be deported during the process of their case," said Assistant County Attorney Eder Castillo.
Castillo said the number of U and T Visa certifications by the office has plummeted in recent years from 80 down to about 25 each year, which is a miniscule amount compared to the number of cases they handle.
The county leaders say the number of immigrants and noncitizens arriving in Hennepin County, particularly from South America, has been increasing.
They say they want to lead the nation in reducing barriers for noncitizens to report crimes.
The next step for the Hennepin County Attorney's Office is letting communities know that this policy exists. They'll do a question-and-answer session at the Midtown Global Market on Tuesday, March 12, at 5:30 p.m.
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