Legal Momentum Applauds US Labor Department's Move to Certify Applications for U-Visas

New York (March 22, 2010) -

Legal Momentum, the women's legal defense and education fund, applauds Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis' announcement that the U.S. Department of Labor will begin exercising its authority to sign certifications in cases of immigrant crime victims applying for U visas. U visas are designed to help victims of certain criminal activities who have suffered substantial physical or mental abuse and are willing to assist law enforcement or other government officials in the investigation or prosecution of those activities.

Since the creation of U visas during the Bush Administration, the Department of Labor had the ability to certify potential applicants but did not actively do so. Under the new policy, the department's Wage and Hour Division will sign certifications for U visa applicants as part of conducting workplace investigations. This will make important protection for victims of workplace abuses and violations available to more workers and improve the department's ability to enforce labor laws.

Irasema Garza, president of Legal Momentum praised the move, "From appalling conditions, to high rates of sexual harassment and sexual assault, the stakes are especially high for immigrant women workers. The Department of Labor's initiative in providing certifications to workers is critical to protecting immigrant victims of exploitation and holding malicious employers accountable. This is a big win for workers, for the communities they live in, and for honest businesses that are playing by the rules."

Leslye Orloff, head of Legal Momentum's Immigrant Women Program, said, "When we worked with Congress to create U visas and T visas and pushed the Department for the Homeland Security to implement them, the goal was to support enforcement of our labor laws and criminal laws and to help keep victims safe. The Department of Labor's leadership in certification will add a valuable tool that will dramatically improve victims' safety and help the department of labor accomplish its mission of ensuring workplace safety."