Domingo Mendoza Méndez, a 45-year-old Mexican immigrant, has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since his appointment on July 10. He is trying to obtain a U visa, intended for victims of specific crimes who cooperate with law enforcement. Mendoza Méndez became a victim of a violent robbery in 2013 and has been navigating the U visa process since 2021.
His situation reflects the alarming trend of immigrants, particularly U visa applicants, facing detention amid heightened immigration enforcement, primarily during the Trump administration. Immigration attorney Magdalena Metelska points out that prior administrations did not impose such punitive measures against U visa petitioners. Mendoza Méndez emphasizes the challenges faced in detention, including violations of his rights and uncertainty surrounding his pending application.
The U visa, created by Congress in 2000, is designed to encourage undocumented crime survivors to report offenses without fear of deportation. However, backlogs are significant, with over 300,000 applicants waiting for approval, a process that can take 15 to 20 years. The program has been increasingly scrutinized, and recent changes assert that good faith determinations do not protect U visa applicants from deportation.
The deteriorating landscape for U visa applicants aligns with a push for increased immigration enforcement, risking the safety of vulnerable communities. Legal advocates express concern over the implications of recent policy shifts, fearing more victims will be swept into deportation proceedings despite their cooperation with law enforcement. Mendoza Méndez remains hopeful as he fights to reunite with his family amidst the turmoil.
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