Trump is capping specific visas that keep survivors safe

Added: 2026-05-28

[00:00:00]I want to talk about visas because we created the T and U visas specifically so that survivors of violence and trafficking could come forward and testify and not be afraid of deportation. Um but VAWA self-petitions right now are averaging over 4 years for processing. U visas can take approximately 10 years and T visas are averaging 29 and 1/2 months.

[00:00:28]Um that's why I introduced the WISE Act which has a variety of provisions to protect survivors and end the arbitrary U visa cap but Ms. Argueta, can you explain how these backlogs that we have are endangering survivors and why it's so important that we fix these?

[00:00:47]Yes, thank you for Thank you for the question.

[00:00:50]Um the backlogs combined with the other um changes that we've been discussing, the fact that people cannot be considered for humanitarian parole. That used to be the thing. If you were pregnant in detention, if you had significant health issues, if you were waiting on a U visa, you could be considered. ICE has so much power and every time they detain someone, every day they make the choice I They could just release every single one of these people and they used to at least consider release consider these factors and now there's just a blanket policy of we will not consider release for anyone. Um so not being able to to think about release or apply for release or meet certain standards for release um means that you can't be outside detention waiting for a U visa because USCIS is the agency that has to grant the visas.

[00:01:46]Immigration judges who you see when you're detained cannot. And so you just lose that opportunity. You still have to see the immigration judge if you're detained and you have to present whatever whatever other claim you have, and these people are being ordered deported instead of being allowed to live outside of detention and wait on those visas.