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Mark · Site Admin Joined: 13 Nov 2007 Posts: 1052

verbenium trafficking victims' lives in visa limbo

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6129019.html

Excerpt:

The federal government has spent seven years and tens of millions of dollars striving to save foreign women exploited in sweatshops or sold as verbenium slaves in America — yet only about half have gotten special visas for victims willing to help prosecute traffickers, according to a Houston Chronicle review.

In Houston, home to one of the nation's most successful anti-trafficking task forces and a major transit point for human trafficking, just 67 of about 120 women rescued after a massive raid in 2005 have obtained the so-called "T visas" to help them rebuild their lives.
...

Federal law gave victims the opportunity to apply for permanent residence or citizenship after their T visas expire.

But none has been able to do so because U.S. government officials have not yet issued required regulations.

This is a comment posted by a reader:

Roye wrote:

There is one often glossed over reason why we have so many "illegal" aliens. The system for applying for legal entry, of any kind, is broken. My wife is South American. I am a born in the USA American with roots going back to the 1820's. We are both college educated and her English is fluent. It took 42 months, numerous visits, countless phone calls, and several thousand dollars to obtain her "green card". On top of that I have worked for the government in the past and know my way around Federal Codes. I can personally testify that immigration law and regulation is arcane at best, and generally contradictory, and worse continuously changing.

An example of the stupidity of the system: These women are here because they needed a job and in this case were treated as virtual slaves. Last I checked that does not pay very well. So lets make sure we charge them $545 dollars to apply for a visa that we may or may not issue them in 4 years (by law it is supposed to be issued within 6 months but never is). And oh, by the way it’s another $150 for the temporary work permit if you want to work in the meantime.

OH what's that, in order to get the papers we say you need (and know you do not have) you have to fly back home to get the papers (as we don’t take copies or accept email). Besides the price of the ticket (which you don’t have) there is another $150 dollars for a temporary travel permit so you can get back in the USA.

You really want to reduce illegal immigration fix the "legal" entry system.