Violence against women is a major public health problem in New Mexico, causing, in the words of the Christus Community Health Needs Assessment, "profound influence on the physical, spiritual and behavioral health of women and their children." Undocumented immigrants are often particularly vulnerable because of their lack of legal status in the United States, their lack of economic stability, and the fear that accompanies interacting with law enforcement when they need protection.
The U.S. Congress created the U Visa in order to address this issue. In exchange for continued cooperation with law enforcement in the investigation/prosecution of a violent crime, immigrants are eligible to apply for a U Visa, which gives them four years of permission to live and work in the United States and makes them eligible for a green card after three years in status. U Visa cases have a very low denial rate and the immigration benefits often extend to the family of the victim as well. For immigrant victims of violence in our community, the U Visa is the most effective means to positively and irrevocably impact their lives and is a powerful tool in breaking the cycles of abuse and poverty.
OUR MISSION AND VISION Santa Fe Dreamers Project provides free legal services to immigrants to promote economic empowerment, community development, family unity, and liberation from detention. Our work is centered around the belief that supporting immigrants makes our whole community stronger. We are committed to representing every qualified immigrant who walks through our doors, to using service strategies that expand vulnerable peoples’ access to legal counsel, and to elevating the voices and narratives of immigrants in our community to support positive reform.
P.O. Box 8009