Saint Paul, Minnesota — On January 25th, Representative Sandra Feist (DFL - New Brighton) introduced H. F. 321, which passed through the necessary House committees after a unanimous bipartisan vote in the Judiciary Committee this week.
The purpose of this bill is to provide uniformity and transparency in the U visa certification process across Minnesota. This will benefit both victims considering seeking assistance and law enforcement in managing U visa certification requests.
The U nonimmigrant status (U visa) was established in 2000 as a key tool for law enforcement in the detection, investigation, or prosecution of certain serious criminal activity, and offers protections to victims of qualifying criminal activities. A large percentage of U visas are granted to victims of domestic violence. The process involves a “U visa certification” by law enforcement, verifying cooperation by the victim in its investigation or prosecution.
“I am grateful for the bipartisan support for this bill that will protect victims and aid law enforcement in bringing criminals to justice,” said Rep. Feist. “I hope we can continue our work together across the aisle this Legislative Session.”