(TUCSON, ARIZONA) Tucson’s top police official is warning that deporting immigrants who apply for U-visas is eroding the trust that officers rely on to solve crimes. Police Chief Chad Kasmar said the practice, which advocates trace to actions during President Trump’s administration, is scaring victims and witnesses from reporting crimes or cooperating with officers. He called the trend a direct threat to public safety in a city where thousands of residents depend on community trust to feel safe contacting law enforcement.
What U-visas are meant to do
Kasmar, who co-chairs the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force, said U-visas exist to help immigrant victims of certain serious crimes come forward without fearing removal. The visas can eventually lead to a green card and work permit and require victims to assist police or prosecutors.
The application process is long and heavily backlogged, and applying brings people into contact with immigration authorities. Historically, those applications did not make someone a target for deportation. Advocates say that changed as removals of applicants became more common, dampening the visa’s protective purpose.
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The chief’s concerns mirror what many officers in cities with large immigrant populations report: when potential victims believe a call to the police could expose them or their family to deportation, they stay quiet.
“When people feel safe reporting crime, the whole community is safer,” Kasmar said in remarks shared by local officials.
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He warned that deportations of U-visa applicants undo years of outreach by departments trying to build bridges with immigrant neighborhoods that are often wary of uniforms and badges.
Effects Kasmar and others describe:
– Cases go cold as key witnesses do not come forward.
– Abusers, traffickers, and other criminals feel emboldened.
– Whole neighborhoods develop a distrust that discourages cooperation with police.
Local policies and tensions with federal enforcement
Local leaders have tried to draw a clear line between city policing and federal immigration enforcement. Mayor Regina Romero and Kasmar stress that the Tucson Police Department does not participate in immigration sweeps, which are carried out by federal agencies like ICE and CBP.
Tucson policies limit when officers can ask about immigration status. The city says those limits protect civil rights and keep police focused on solving crimes. Still, residents and civil rights groups — including the ACLU — have scrutinized practices that could push against those limits, fueling debate about how policies work in real situations.
The human stakes
For victims caught between safety and deportation risk, the stakes are immediate. Community advocates say a survivor of assault or a key witness in a violent case may weigh whether speaking up could lead to pickup by immigration agents, even if they intend to apply for a U-visa.
That chilling effect, chiefs argue, ripples through entire neighborhoods:
– Witnesses turn away instead of cooperating.
– Investigations lose vital leads and stall.
– The perception spreads that law enforcement cannot protect people without harming them.
Legislative response and recommendations
The Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force, which includes chiefs and sheriffs from across the country, has backed federal legislation to shore up the U-visa program’s promise.
Key features of the proposed Immigrant Witness and Victim Protection Act:
1. Reduce the U-visa application backlog.
2. Build protective guardrails so applicants are not deported while their cases are pending.
3. Restore confidence among immigrant communities to cooperate with law enforcement.
Supporters say passing the bill would improve police ability to pursue dangerous offenders with help from cooperative witnesses.
Practical framing by Tucson officials
Tucson leaders frame the issue as a practical matter rather than a political one. They view community trust as a tool for solving crimes: when residents call 911, give statements, and testify, investigations move forward. When they don’t, officers lose the most important source of leads — the people who saw what happened.
Police leaders emphasize a simple, consistent message:
– If you are a victim of crime and you help police, you should not fear that your cooperation will put you on a path to removal.
National context and persistent concerns
The policy fight has national resonance. During President Trump’s tenure, immigration arrests increased across various categories, and attorneys reported more instances of U-visa applicants facing removal. Police leaders say those cases, even if not widespread, travel fast through neighborhoods where word-of-mouth shapes whether people open the door to officers.
Challenges that complicate outreach:
– Mixed messages from different levels of government.
– Long U-visa application queues and outcomes that take years.
– Perceptions that applicants could be deported mid-process.
Evidence from victim-centered approaches
Analysis by VisaVerge.com shows departments that invest in victim-centered approaches see higher reporting rates in immigrant communities, especially for domestic violence and wage theft. U-visa certifications from police or prosecutors can make the difference between silence and accountability in these cases.
However, the promise falters when applicants believe they could still be deported during processing. That perception can push people back into the shadows and undermine years of outreach and training.
Role of federal guidance and local practice
Federal officials maintain authority over removals and protections, but local policies still matter. In Tucson, leaders reiterate that officers focus on crime, not immigration status. Community groups counter that any handoff to federal custody — no matter how rare — echoes loudly and leaves families fearful.
The ACLU and other advocates monitor local practice to ensure safeguards on paper function in real encounters at:
– Traffic stops
– Crime scenes
– Precinct front desks
The original intent of the U-visa program
Advocates stress the U-visa’s original intent: help police identify and prosecute serious offenses by offering limited protection to victims who step forward. Deporting applicants, they say, flips that intent and sidelines the people who can help officers remove predators from the street.
For Tucson — a city with cross-border families and long-settled residents — officials argue the public safety calculus is straightforward: if victims and witnesses won’t talk, violent actors benefit, and the whole city pays the price.
Where to find official U-visa information
USCIS explains that U-visa protections are tied to cooperation with investigations and prosecutions, and the agency outlines eligibility and procedures on its official page for victims of criminal activity. That federal guidance remains the main reference point for applicants and local partners seeking clarity about requirements and timelines.
Find details on the U nonimmigrant status page at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services:
https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/victims-of-human-trafficking-and-other-crimes/victims-of-criminal-activity-u-nonimmigrant-status
Final takeaway
As Kasmar and other chiefs see it, the path forward runs through both policy and practice:
– Pass federal protections that prevent deportation of U-visa applicants while cases are pending.
– Maintain local policing that prioritizes victims and avoids making immigration status the first question.
Their argument is direct: protect U-visa applicants during investigations, keep them engaged, and strengthen community trust in law enforcement to make neighborhoods safer.
This Article in a Nutshell
Tucson Police Chief Chad Kasmar warns that deporting U-visa applicants undermines community trust and deters reporting, weakening investigations. U-visas are meant to protect victims who cooperate with law enforcement and can lead to work permits and green cards, but lengthy backlogs and recent removals have chilled cooperation. Tucson officials emphasize local policing separates from federal immigration enforcement while supporting federal legislation to reduce backlogs and prohibit deportations of applicants during adjudication to restore public safety.
