Nickodell
Donation Time
Striving daily to preserve our way of life and defend our civil liberties, the ACLU just joined with other liberal groups to give us this (my italics):
WICHITA (AP) — Illegal immigrants who are victims of crimes in the U.S. can now apply for special visas, after Congress offered protection against deportation to those who cooperate with law enforcement agencies. The U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services is finally starting to process the visas this week, agency spokeswoman Marilu Cabrera said.
The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act established the visa to encourage illegal immigrants to report crimes against them in return for the right to remain in the United States and eventually apply for permanent residency.
"This is an extremely important visa for individuals who have been victims of a crime," Cabrera said. "It is helpful for the government that we get information and cooperation so we can solve these crimes and prevent future crimes. For the person, it gives them peace of mind and an opportunity for a new life."
The law authorized up to 10,000 "U" visas every year. The visas are good for up to four years, but visa holders who are in the U.S. continuously for three years can apply for permanent residency.
Critics are concerned about that provision.
"I would much prefer that we used it as a temporary visa, not an immigrant visa — something that allowed a person to testify but didn't give them the jackpot of a green card," said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors limits on immigration.
Ed Hayes, the Kansas director of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, is more vigorous in his opposition to the program. He argues that there are many more American victims of crimes committed by illegal immigrants than illegal immigrants who are crime victims.
"If they are here illegally, they broke the law," Hayes said. "If they become a victim, I am sorry for them. They should testify and then go home."
Since the law was passed, 8,301 petitioners and their families have been granted interim relief from deportation while awaiting publication of the "U" visa rules. They now have 180 days to apply for the special visas.
Among those who qualified for deferred action was Eleuterio Rodriguez Ruiz, who said he hopes to get a visa that will allow him to travel to Mexico to see his parents.
The 30-year-old Mexican citizen was one of seven people held at gunpoint at an Arizona rest stop by an Army reservist as they were crossing illegally into the United States.
Rodriguez Ruiz said he cooperated with authorities, who subsequently filed aggravated assault charges against Sgt. Patrick Haab. The county attorney later dropped the charges, citing a state law that allows citizens to make an arrest when a felony has been committed.
The initiative was prompted by a coalition of civil rights groups, headed by the American Civil Liberties Union, who filed a class-action lawsuit in 2005 against Citizen and Immigration Services and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.
[Nick's Note: Let's look at that again. Ruiz got his green card because he filed a lawsuit (guess who represented him) which was dismissed. So, now if you come here illegally you apparently only have to say "OOOH! He scared me!" and get your Green Card. Why did I bother to spend 20 months in England getting mine? And, as usual, our government goes after the citizen who arrested the illegal aliens in the process of breaking our laws, not the law-breaker, who will now be rewarded. It's similar to the two Border Guards who shot in the butt another illegal who was in the process of importing a huge quantity of narcotics (something his own mother boasted that he's done many times). Their reward? Now serving 10 years in jail. Remember what our govt. did? Paid the illegal to come over again (backside nicely healed, courtesy of Uncle Sam), to testify against them, a favor he returned by at the same time bringing over another load of dope. Any penalty for him? Nope. Who's looking out for you, guys?]
WICHITA (AP) — Illegal immigrants who are victims of crimes in the U.S. can now apply for special visas, after Congress offered protection against deportation to those who cooperate with law enforcement agencies. The U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services is finally starting to process the visas this week, agency spokeswoman Marilu Cabrera said.
The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act established the visa to encourage illegal immigrants to report crimes against them in return for the right to remain in the United States and eventually apply for permanent residency.
"This is an extremely important visa for individuals who have been victims of a crime," Cabrera said. "It is helpful for the government that we get information and cooperation so we can solve these crimes and prevent future crimes. For the person, it gives them peace of mind and an opportunity for a new life."
The law authorized up to 10,000 "U" visas every year. The visas are good for up to four years, but visa holders who are in the U.S. continuously for three years can apply for permanent residency.
Critics are concerned about that provision.
"I would much prefer that we used it as a temporary visa, not an immigrant visa — something that allowed a person to testify but didn't give them the jackpot of a green card," said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors limits on immigration.
Ed Hayes, the Kansas director of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, is more vigorous in his opposition to the program. He argues that there are many more American victims of crimes committed by illegal immigrants than illegal immigrants who are crime victims.
"If they are here illegally, they broke the law," Hayes said. "If they become a victim, I am sorry for them. They should testify and then go home."
Since the law was passed, 8,301 petitioners and their families have been granted interim relief from deportation while awaiting publication of the "U" visa rules. They now have 180 days to apply for the special visas.
Among those who qualified for deferred action was Eleuterio Rodriguez Ruiz, who said he hopes to get a visa that will allow him to travel to Mexico to see his parents.
The 30-year-old Mexican citizen was one of seven people held at gunpoint at an Arizona rest stop by an Army reservist as they were crossing illegally into the United States.
Rodriguez Ruiz said he cooperated with authorities, who subsequently filed aggravated assault charges against Sgt. Patrick Haab. The county attorney later dropped the charges, citing a state law that allows citizens to make an arrest when a felony has been committed.
The initiative was prompted by a coalition of civil rights groups, headed by the American Civil Liberties Union, who filed a class-action lawsuit in 2005 against Citizen and Immigration Services and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.
[Nick's Note: Let's look at that again. Ruiz got his green card because he filed a lawsuit (guess who represented him) which was dismissed. So, now if you come here illegally you apparently only have to say "OOOH! He scared me!" and get your Green Card. Why did I bother to spend 20 months in England getting mine? And, as usual, our government goes after the citizen who arrested the illegal aliens in the process of breaking our laws, not the law-breaker, who will now be rewarded. It's similar to the two Border Guards who shot in the butt another illegal who was in the process of importing a huge quantity of narcotics (something his own mother boasted that he's done many times). Their reward? Now serving 10 years in jail. Remember what our govt. did? Paid the illegal to come over again (backside nicely healed, courtesy of Uncle Sam), to testify against them, a favor he returned by at the same time bringing over another load of dope. Any penalty for him? Nope. Who's looking out for you, guys?]
