The Trump administration's immigration enforcement tactics undercutting protection for undocumented crime survivors weakens law enforcement's ability to investigate and prosecute crimes, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.
The 50-page report, "'We Need U': How the U Visa Builds Trust, Counters Fear, and Promotes Community Safety," finds that the administration's deportation policies undermine federal visa programs that provide a pathway for crime victims to obtain legal residency when they cooperate with law enforcement. Changed enforcement guidance, such as allowing Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to apprehend people in previously safe places like courthouses and health centers, is a strong deterrent for immigrants who might otherwise report crime to police or seek a protective order.
"Despite strong rhetoric about cracking down on crime, the Trump administration's enforcement actions and policies are benefiting abusers, making it less likely that they will be apprehended and prosecuted," said Sara Darehshori, consultant to Human Rights Watch and author of the report. "If the administration is serious about combatting crime, it will expand and improve visa programs that allow victims to come forward without fear of deportation."
Congress created the U visa in 2000 to help combat gender-based violence, recognizing that undocumented women and children are especially vulnerable to abuse and unlikely to report crimes because they fear deportation. Under the U visa program, survivors of rape, domestic violence, trafficking, and 25 other enumerated crimes have a pathway to legal residency if they cooperate with law enforcement or another certifying agency, have suffered substantial physical or mental abuse, and are otherwise admissible to the United States.
The program is designed to ensure that abusers cannot weaponize the threat of deportation to prevent victims from going to police and to strengthen law enforcement's ability to investigate and prosecute crime.
Researchers conducted 43 interviews between May and October 2025 with law enforcement officials, immigration lawyers, advocates, and crime victims from around the country to better understand the impact of the program.
In one example, a woman's boyfriend brutally beat her in June 2023. He punched her, cut her hand and face with a knife, hit her with a bottle, and choked her to the point of unconsciousness. He threatened to kill her, saying that she would end up in a "body bag." She was transported to a hospital emergency room, where she was treated for severe lacerations and a fractured shoulder. While there, she worked up the courage to report the abuse to the New York Police Department, a decision she believes saved her life. She is now awaiting her U visa.
"Abusers regularly use threats of deportation and separation from children to prevent their victims from going to police," Darehshori said, "The aggressive enforcement tactics being used by ICE under the Trump administration will likely make survivors more reluctant than ever to access the help they need."
An Alliance for Immigrant Survivors survey reinforces fears that the Trump administration's enforcement practices have given abusers a powerful tool for controlling their victims. Of 170 advocates and attorneys surveyed nationwide in the spring of 2025, over 75 percent said their clients are fearful of contacting the police and over 70 percent said their clients have concerns about going to court for a matter related to their abuser.
Benefits of the U visa program stretch beyond intimate partner violence cases and immigrant communities. Studies link those responsible for domestic violence to a wide array of other crimes outside of the home. People interviewed described cases of immigrant victims providing essential help in wage theft cases, murders, robberies, hate crimes, and stranger rape or sexual assault cases. They also described multiple safeguards within the program that ensure that any false claims are caught.
The U visa program is far from perfect, Human Rights Watch said. Too few visas are available, it takes years for victims to obtain one, and the process can seem arbitrary since law enforcement has a great deal of discretion on whether to provide the certification required for a successful application.
Nonetheless, the program is a crucial tool to keep people in the United States safer and for the government to meet its human rights obligations to address gender-based violence and protect victims. Congress should embrace measures to strengthen and expand the program, Human Rights Watch said.
"The U visa helps break through the fear that often silences survivors and gives them the security to seek help and support investigations without risking their families' well-being," said Saloni Sethi, commissioner of the New York City's Mayor's Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence. "Strengthening and streamlining the U visa process would allow more survivors to come forward and receive the support they deserve, help prosecute offenders, and contribute to a safer New York City."
