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By Maria Odom & Heather Fong
Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security released updated guidance for law enforcement on resources available to victims of serious crimes, including human trafficking. The U and T Visa Law Enforcement Resource Guide provides federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement officials with helpful information to support the investigations and prosecution of crimes involving qualified immigrant victims.
The Department is committed to supporting law enforcement investigations and the prosecution of crimes of human trafficking, domestic violence and other serious harm, as well as civil and criminal investigations into labor exploitation and abuse.
Lack of legal immigration status in the United States may be among the reasons that some victims choose not to come forward or work with law enforcement. Perpetrators and human traffickers also use victims’ lack of legal status as leverage to exploit and control them. Congress created the U and T nonimmigrant visas to address this with the passage of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (including the Battered Immigrant Women's Protection Act) in October 2000. Congress sought not only to create tools to help law enforcement prosecute perpetrators of crimes committed against immigrants, but also to strengthen relations between law enforcement and immigrant communities.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) helps to protect victims of these crimes by providing immigration relief through U and T visas. Law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, judges, and government officials also play an important role in this process.
The updated Guide includes:
- information about U and T visa requirements
- information on the I-918B certification and I-914B declaration processes
- suggested best practices
- answers to important and frequently asked questions from judges, prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, and other officials, and
- contact information for DHS personnel on U and T visa issues.
The U and T Visa Law Enforcement Resource Guide was first released in 2012, and the Department will continue to provide updates to our law enforcement partners so that together we can protect victims and put an end to these terrible crimes.
Learn more about the U and T visa programs, as well as other protections for immigrant victims by visiting DHS Immigration Options for Victims of Crimes.
On the 224th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights, President Barack Obama, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director León Rodríguez participated in a special naturalization ceremony at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Thirty-one people from 25 countries were sworn in as new U.S. citizens.
Official DHS photo by Jetta Disco | Download High-Resolution Image (2048 x 1367)
This blog was originally posted by The White House on December 16.
by Cecilia Muñoz, León Rodríguez, Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
As the daughter and son of immigrants, we have lived the American dream. Every day, we work side by side with federal officials who are deeply committed to ensuring that the promise of this dream is available to all Americans, including our newest Americans. That’s why we are honored to serve as the co-chairs of the White House Task Force on New Americans.
One year ago, the President established the Task Force to develop a coordinated federal strategy to better integrate and welcome new Americans into communities and support state and local efforts to do the same. As President Obama stated in his presidential memorandum establishing this interagency effort, “By focusing on the civic, economic, and linguistic integration of new Americans, we can help immigrants and refugees in the United States contribute fully to our economy and their communities.”
Today, we are pleased to share the Task Force’s One-Year Progress Report on implementing its robust federal immigrant and refugee integration strategy. The report highlights Task Force actions and accomplishments on the 16 core goals and 48 recommendations identified in its April 2015 Strategic Action Plan.
Among accomplishments to date, the Task Force has:
- Spearheaded the Building Welcoming Communities Campaign to encourage local immigrant and refugee integration efforts, with 48 cities and counties already joined in the effort, and organized a White House Building Welcoming Communities convening for participating cities and counties;
- Launched two initiatives: the “Stand Stronger” Citizenship Awareness campaign with a video message from President Obama and in partnership with local communities, as well as a complementary campaign at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to promote awareness of the rights, responsibilities, and importance of United States citizenship;
- Named Presidential Ambassadors for Citizenship and Naturalization to harness the stories of prominent new Americans and U.S.-born individuals with immigrant roots to promote naturalization, bolster integration initiatives, and increase awareness of the rich contributions of new Americans;
- Dedicated 150 Welcoming Communities AmeriCorps members to nearly 100 communities through partnerships with the YMCA, Catholic Charities, and eight refugee resettlement organizations to assist local communities with integration efforts;
- Launched the Small Business Administration’s “Made It In America” website to promote immigrant entrepreneurship and piloted new “SBA 101” classes for immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs;
- Expanded access to linguistic integration and education by creating and disseminating best practices and hosting webinars, regional convenings, and other activities to connect new Americans with education systems; and
- Supported five communities seeking to build networks to strengthen integration through adult education providers.
Immigrants and refugees have always been a source of America’s strength. By extending a welcoming hand, the United States has continually tapped new sources of economic and cultural vitality. We can and must continue to reunite families; welcome students, workers, and entrepreneurs who seek to contribute to our economy; and remain a beacon of hope for vulnerable refugees, while ensuring the highest vigilance for our nation’s security. As President Obama has said, we were founded upon a belief in human dignity, and we must never forget what makes us exceptional. At the heart of that is our ability, generation after generation, to welcome newcomers and help them learn and live by the values we share as Americans.
Learn about the Task Force's Accomplishments in 2015:
The holidays are here! The U.S. Coast Guard Band performs alongside Trombone Shorty at the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony in Washington, D.C.. The Department’s premier band traveled from New London, Connecticut to join the President and First Family in welcoming the holiday season.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Diana Honings | Download High-Resolution Image (4257 x 3041)
Last month, the Idaho National Laboratory hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a newly operational radioisotope mass separator (RMS), a device that will improve the accuracy and precision of nuclear forensics analysis. The RMS is co-sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Representatives from DNDO, FBI, Department of Energy, U.S. Air Force Technical Applications Center, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology attended the ceremony.
Nuclear forensics supports nuclear smuggling investigations and also aids attribution of a nuclear terrorist event. In the event of a nuclear attack, or when an adversary is caught smuggling nuclear materials, it is important to determine the material’s origin and the perpetrators. These signatures are discovered in the variations of radioactive elements in the material, or its “radioisotopes.” Scientists can measure the composition of the material at the atomic level by using analytical standards and certified reference materials. The RMS produces these ultra-purified radioisotope comparison standards, which will help advance the nation’s nuclear forensics capabilities.
Accurately identifying the material’s source, based on reliable scientific methods, is crucial to ensuring successful prosecution of smugglers, finding and addressing breaches in nuclear security globally, and supporting appropriate national responses to perpetrators of nuclear terrorism. Nuclear forensics helps the United States to hold fully accountable any state, terrorist group, or other non-state actor that supports or enables terrorist efforts to obtain or use weapons of mass destruction. DNDO will continue to invest in nuclear forensics technologies, such as the RMS, to help prevent, deter, and respond to nuclear smuggling and nuclear terrorism.
Federal partners receive a briefing on the Radioisotope Mass Separator
(Photo Credit: Idaho National Laboratory)
The Radioisotope Mass Separator at the Idaho National Laboratory
(Photo Credit: Idaho National Laboratory)
This blog was originally posted by USCIS on December 2.
Do you have a question about citizenship, forms, or something else we do? Come to our website and meet Emma, our new virtual assistant!
Emma is a computer-generated chat feature that will answer your questions and help you navigate our website. There’s no live person behind the chat box, but you can talk to her using your own words.
Getting Emma’s help is easy: just click on "Ask a question" in the upper right corner of one of our Web pages and type a question into her chat window. Emma will respond in writing, and if you click the speaker icon, she’ll talk to you. She works best on desktop computers and will soon be available on mobile devices. Emma is fluent in English only, but she’s learning Spanish.
Emma was named after poet Emma Lazarus, whose poem "The New Colossus" is commemorated in a bronze plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty.
The innovation and agility needed to protect our Nation’s critical infrastructure requires collaboration between both the public and private sectors. Today, the Department of Homeland Security is releasing a national plan to guide research activities across all 16 critical infrastructure sectors, which provide the essential products and services that support the Nation’s safety, prosperity, and well-being.
The National Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Research and Development (CISR R&D) Plan, mandated by Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) 21, identifies priority areas that inform R&D investments, promote innovation, and guide research activities across the critical infrastructure community.
This plan outlines a path forward for stakeholders to collaborate in implementing and advancing the National CISR R&D Priority Areas. The Plan was developed through a collaborative process involving public and private stakeholders from across the critical infrastructure community.
The National CISR R&D Priority Areas will:
- Deepen the foundational understanding of critical infrastructure systems and systems dynamics
- Develop fully integrated and scalable risk assessment and management approaches
- Continue to develop integrated and proactive capabilities, technologies, and methods to support secure and resilient infrastructure
- Harness the power of cutting edge data sciences to create unified, integrated situational awareness and to understand consequences of action
- Build a crosscutting culture of CISR R&D collaboration, to focus on creating unity of effort, and building up skills and education capabilities
We will continue to engage with our stakeholders as the critical infrastructure community works to further define R&D requirements and design and implement solutions that meet identified needs.
For more information or to download a copy of the plan, visit here.
By: Dr. Kim O’Connor, Executive Secretary
At the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), we constantly strive to communicate with the American public as transparently as possible. In fact, we share this goal with the whole Federal Government. Since the passage of the Plain Writing Act of 2010, we’ve made great strides to ensure we present information in a clear and reliable manner.
On Nov. 17, 2015, Representative Dave Loebsack and the Center for Plain Language released the 2015 Plain Language Report Card. For the second year in a row, DHS was recognized for its outstanding efforts implementing the use of plain language Department-wide. This year, DHS was awarded an “A+” in compliance and an “A” in writing and information design.
This report card acknowledges efforts at every level of the department to produce easily understandable content. As Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has said, “Clarity, transparency, and the Department’s responsiveness to the American public are amongst our highest priorities.”
Many DHS employees have had the opportunity to receive training on the plain language standards. The feedback I’ve received is that the training is both engaging and highly valuable. I appreciate the efforts taking place across DHS to further institutionalize the use of plain language and ensure we continue to communicate with the American people as effectively as possible.
Too full from turkey to go shopping on Black Friday? Cyber Monday allows shoppers to avoid the crowds and take advantage of great deals online from the convenience of their computer or mobile device. According to the National Retail Federation, nearly half of all holiday shopping will be done online this year. While online shoppers will be able to take advantage of big sales and deep discounts, they’ll also see an increase in cybercrime as online criminals seek to exploit the festive season.
With Cyber Monday, it’s important to learn how to shop securely during the holidays. To help keep you and your bank account safe, follow these three simple steps from the Department of Homeland Security’s Stop.Think.Connect. campaign:
- Protect Yourself Against Phishing Attempts. During the holiday season, scammers may send fake emails about order problems or deals that are too good to be true to entice you to click a malicious link. Online thieves often use these links to compromise your computer. Instead of clicking on links, type in the address yourself or look it up on a search engine and follow that link. You can also call a company directly to confirm the legitimacy of an email’s claim. Additionally, look for typos or other visual errors in the email, which may indicate that it was not sent from the reputable company it claims to be.
- Use Strong Passwords for Sensitive Accounts. Protect your personal information by making the passwords to your bank and credit card accounts stronger. Create a password with 8 characters or more and a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Use unique passwords for all accounts. If you have the same password for all of your accounts, this increases the chance that a criminal can access all of your other accounts if they figure out your one of your passwords.
- Avoid Shopping on Public Wi-Fi. Public Wi-Fi is convenient when you’re away from home and on the go, but not as secure as a password protected Wi-Fi or your home network. Save your online shopping, banking, or sensitive transactions for a secure connection, preferably when you’re back at your house.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Stop.Think.Connect. campaign encourages everyone to practice good cybersecurity all year round. For more tips and resources, visit www.dhs.gov/stopthinkconnect.
On Sunday, I joined Homeland Secretary Johnson in New York City with Mayor de Blasio, Police Commissioner Bratton, Fire Commissioner Nigro, and Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph Esposito to observe the New York Police Department’s active shooter training exercise. I am pleased that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) had the opportunity to help support this important exercise.
Through the outstanding work of the DHS S&T Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Explosives Division team and the NYPD Counter Terrorism Division, we helped to fund and develop the concept for the exercise, provide training, and identify new technologies that could be used in future emergencies.
S&T’s mission is to deliver cutting-edge research to produce new technologies, capabilities and threat and risk assessments to meet the critical needs of our homeland security partners. DHS S&T, through an agreement with U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC), co-created the Counter Terrorism Technology Evaluation Center to assist first responders with evaluating tactics, techniques, and procedures, identifying and resourcing training opportunities and researching technologies for response to an active shooter incident. This is the fifth exercise DHS has helped to plan and coordinate to support technology demonstrations and training evaluations.
This exercise allowed S&T to observe first responders using several tools that can be translated for use by DHS and other first responders. These technologies included an indoor shot detection capability, a geo-referenced graph for better situational awareness, and an interoperable communications capability developed and currently used by the U.S. Army.
The exercise included S&T, the National Protection and Programs Directorate, U.S. Secret Service, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency; the U.S. Army’s Armament Research Development and Engineering Center; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and numerous state and local entities.
I congratulate NYC on the success of the exercise and on the impressive coordination and cooperation between the NYPD, FDNY, NYOEM, and other state and federal agencies. S&T is proud to continue to support these active shooter exercises to ensure the safety and security of our communities.
On Nov. 22, DHS officials visited New York City to observe a New York Police Department active shooter exercise. The exercise was supported by the Department of Homeland Security. (Photo credit: Barry Bahler/DHS)