California governor approves bill to help immigrant crime victims
Source: Reuters
US | Sat Oct 10, 2015 10:44am EDT
California governor approves bill to help immigrant crime victims
SAN FRANCISCO | BY KRISTINA COOKE AND DAN LEVINE
California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill designed to help undocumented immigrants who are victims of violent crime, by introducing time limits on law enforcement's response to their U.S. visa applications in an attempt to standardize police forces' uneven treatment of applicants.
The federal government grants visas to undocumented immigrants who help law enforcement try to catch criminals. The so-called U visa allows the recipient to live and work in the United States for four years, but to apply, a victim must first ask local law enforcement to verify their cooperation.
A Reuters investigation last year found vast geographic disparities in law enforcement approaches to this visa, with some agencies readily verifying cooperation and others stonewalling.
California legislators unanimously passed the bill this year, and Brown announced on Friday that he had signed it.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/10/us-immigration-california-idUSKCN0S40N920151010