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twitterVisas for victims: Mother with college dreams among valley’s first to benefit
Steve Marcus
Rosa Parra of Tijuana, Mexico, received a U.S. visa, good for four years, in July, years after cooperating with Metro police as they investigated her husband on allegations of kidnapping and abuse. A step closer to citizenship, Parra plans to apply for student loans so she can get her college degree.
Monday, Oct. 5, 2009 | 2 a.m.
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Rosa Parra sits in a comfortable, neat kitchen, talking about how her former husband attacked her with a machete, burned down her house and kidnapped her younger son.
Before he could be tried in connection with any of those allegations, he escaped to Mexico after posting bail in 2003. But Metro Police investigated all of it, and she cooperated with the authorities, making her eligible for a program that was then relatively new and would allow her to stay legally in the United States.
Six years later Parra has become one of the first women in the Las Vegas Valley to receive a U visa, a step toward becoming a permanent resident and then a citizen. She is one of 55 locally to get the visas and one of 4,400 nationwide. A backlog remains of about 160 applications in the valley and at least 13,000 applications nationwide.
The federal government is awarding the visas nearly a decade after Congress passed the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act to assist victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and other crimes, who are in the country illegally. The law allows eligible victims to receive work permits and obtain social services and the visa itself, as long as they cooperate with law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of the crimes. The visa is good for four years.
The logjam in processing the applications stemmed from the federal government’s inability, since 2000, to write regulations for applying the law. In recent years the Homeland Security Department’s ombudsman and several members of Congress ripped the department for its inaction.
The agency finally issued regulations at the end of last year on fees and on becoming a resident and citizen.
And Parra finally received the phone call informing her of her visa on July 15, from Angela Morrison, legal director of the UNLV Boyd School of Law immigration law clinic. The clinic has handled most of the U visa cases in the valley.
When Parra hung up, stirred by the news, the first person she thought to tell was Rosonea Warren, her case manager at Safe House, a local nonprofit organization for victims of domestic violence. She dialed Warren’s number, in tears.
Safe House is where Parra and her two sons went after leaving their home in March 2003. The next day Parra’s husband burned their house down, thinking they were still inside, Parra alleges. So she and her boys stayed in the shelter nearly four months. During that time, Parra divorced her husband.
She also began receiving annual work permits, the federal government’s allowance for people who are in legal limbo but must support themselves and their families. This went on for years. Parra improved her English and, after two swings at passing the state test, became licensed to sell real estate. She also began selling insurance.
But she never struck from her mind an idea she has held since her childhood in Tijuana — studying medicine. That was before she followed her former husband’s plan to settle in the United States. When she gains the status of permanent resident sometime next year, she can then apply for student loans. “I’ll graduate from college the same time as my older son,” she jokes.
Parra’s story shows why the U visa program is needed, Morrison says.
“It provides permanency for people and allows them to move beyond (being a victim of) a crime to build something in the United States,” she says.
She points out that Parra and many of the thousands of others finally receiving the visas have children born in the United States, so their visas also help preserve “family unity.”
Warren, who has helped about 20 U visa applicants at her shelter, sees another reason for the program. “It’s morally right,” she says. “If we weren’t willing to reach out to people like her, the world would be a worse place.”
Metro Police Lt. Ray Steiber has to sign off on each U visa application locally. He directs the program out of Metro’s special victims section and has three members of his department review each application, careful to follow federal rules for determining eligibility.
This is important, he says, because “it is easy to become subjective” when investigating many of the allegations in the applications. Steiber has rejected about 10 percent.
He says the Justice Department has asked him to train other departments on his staff’s protocol, because it is seen as a model in law enforcement circles.
Steiber participates in the program because he sees it as another crime-fighting tool. “Regardless of whether a person is here lawfully or not, it doesn’t take away that they’re victims of crime,” Steiber says. The U visa program “works to identify, prevent and prosecute crime in the community,” because it encourages victims to cooperate with law enforcement who otherwise would be unlikely to do so.
Parra, meanwhile, looks forward to her new life. During the past six years, she says, the United States has been “a gilded cage.” Now, she says, “it’s my home.”
Discussion: 60 comments so far…
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Are you kidding me? I've been a tax paying American my entire life and I dont qualify for any student loans or any financial assistance for college. Even had a CCSN employee in financial aid tell me I didnt qualify, but the alien hispanic male in the cubicle next to me was getting almost his entire education paid for. What is wrong here? I'm empathic to her situation of being put through a horrible ordeal with her husband, but that doesnt mean she should jump the line and get perks that I am being denied. This has to end somewhere.
We do not begrudge this mother and wish her much success. However, this story pains us. We are moms who are natural born citizens of the U.S. We pay property taxes and contribute to our community. However, when we were beat up by our husbands and our children were beat up by their fathers, we got no protection from Metro. In fact, we were told by Metro officers while we stood before them swollen from assaults and batteries, to pursue the matter in court. Then, in court, because the judges ask if the abusers were arrested, the court orders our children into the care of their batterers because Metro didn't arrest the batterers. We filed a police report January 5, 2009 about this problem. According to September 2009, State of Nevada statistics, Las Vegas children fatalities due to abuse and neglect is seven times greater than before we filed our police report. We natural citizens of this country demand our rights of equal protection of the law and due process be honored also. YOUR RIGHT!
I hope that Obama will make it easier for normal everyday citizens to get financial assistance for college. OH, WAIT A MINUTE !!, then people would be complaining about a socialist government !!!
This should be called the "Rewarding Illegal Alien Lawbreaker Act".
Thanks to our "Government Programs", this lady has never done anything for herself without assistance of some kind. And now she is proud of her achievements ? I say put her and her brood on a mule and point her south.
I would be interested to know how many of these visas for victims are being given out? Hundreds? Or, hundreds of thousands?
Another act of waste of taxpayer funds going to an Illegal Mexican. Thoroughly disgusting and unnecessary. The disposition of this case should have been done according to the immigration law of the land: immediate deportation to Mexico and disposition of her cause taken up by her own government.
When is the American public going to wake up to our funds being eroded by Illegal Mexicans and other Illegals, period?
Mr. Pratt: Is she learning English?
Props to her. At least she is going about coming here the proper and lawful way, with a visa.
What gets me is the slanted reporting going on regarding Female victimology.
All I ever read about is how men are bad and how women are victims of men.
Could this be a concerted slant based on a hidden policy?
Are we always to get the impression that only women are victims of men, and that men are never victims of women?
How about the millions of men who have been "taken to the cleaners" by avaricious women using their sexuality to trap and enslave men and then legally rob them of their accumulated earnings?
Doesn't that count for something?
Apparently not, since the policy of twisting news only in favor of women and only against men has been with us for over the last, at least, 100 years.
Is this policy based on a conspiracy of breaking up the patriarchal home in order to communize us?
Was this patriarchal Mexican husband driven to this act of desperate revenge because he was a victim of Feminism, which he could only cope with in his primitive, Mexican fashion?
We need to ask, "What part of this so-called injurious event was the responsibility of Ms. Rosa Parra, the so-called "injured" wife?
Why does no one seem to take a look at that and return us to sanity?
SCHNORCHEL: "How about the millions of men who have been "taken to the cleaners" by avaricious women using their sexuality to trap and enslave men and then legally rob them of their accumulated earnings?"
Hey if some woman does that to you feel free to kick her a$$.
READ THE ARTICLE! She hasn't received anything but the Visa. She's hoping to APPLY for LOANS to further her education. She's not looking for a handout, but to better herself and her standing in the world.
Is she applying for "loans" as in more than one? It's probably more like a pell grant. Why stop there, Make sure the housing and transportation be made available also.
Women with kids get welfare and food stamps. Plus housing vouchers. Why go to school? She has aid for decades now.
This system sucks
SCHNORCHEL - Maybe if guys like you would stop thinking with your little head instead of your big head, you wouldn't be getting your burger-flipping "wealth" stolen by these immigrant feminists. Get over yourself. From your post, you don't sound like much of a catch for women of any stripe to be around you, much less become involved enough to "rob" you of your tens of dollars. You sound like a real loser.
Tax paying americans?
50% of you so called citizens in US do not pay taxes in this country because you are considered too poor. That is someone making less than 50K. Don't give me that BS about Americans getting jiffed. You have since birth more opportunities than anyone from Mexico. Your eduation from K-12 is paid for. It is god given American right to get that education. If you can't get ahead except to flip burgers after all that free education, don't blame anyone except yourself. I also want to point out that people getting most out of welfare, medicaid and medicare are poor uneducated white folks or retired white folks who know how to game the system. All the immigrants here working are paying taxes to support the white folk's wanting to keep their good old American lifestyles without having to work for it. You don't hear immigrants complaing all the time about having to support other people's lifestyle do you? Do you know why? they are just happy to have an opportunity to work and make a living here. So lets not assume who is paying for whom. Also how come noone ever complain about 150 BILLIOn dollar check the feds wrote to AIG ona drop of hat? Now thats real welfare system and socialism.
I think it is funny that a former illegal immigrant is able to navigate American bureaucracy, secure resident status, and start a career - where most Americans are unable to figure life out.
I guess this is a prime example of the American dream, which can be achieved by individuals who are ambitious.
Ship her arse back to TJ. No wait, she wanted to get ahead. Send her to Pahrump so she can "work" her way thru college.
Hey around the world or whatever your yoyo name is,Please feel free to show me the fine art of making 50k and not pay taxes. I'm a so called citizen who happens to pay and be white. Let me tell you something a$$,The mere fact that I pay into taxes,social security, medicare,etc..... and will never see a dime of it allows this travisty of illegal invasion possible.If the U.S. citizens that you talk about had the ability to invest their money as opposed to our government taking it,This would not even be an issue.You said "YOUR EDUCATION",Where are you from?
Hey adrian, I think it's called hangin at the welfare office,fool!
I find it entertaining that spock is making fun of aroundworld365 username...ha ha
Invest our money into the stock-market? Is that wise considering the economic condition of the market?
I am sure Spock with request Medicare and social security when he/she is of the required age.
You can feel the anger in his blog. I can see why Nevada is one of the stupidest cities...so sad :(
adrian,Where are you from? It's called keeping your own money and not working for someone else to get off! I bet your name knows no taxes.
Las Vegas, where are you from?
Your last sentence is unclear?
Are you insinuating that I do not pay taxes?
(Please note Uncle Sam takes a big part of my check).
And that is great, that you look at my name and make false pretenses about my status.
AMERICA IS BRAVE is no longer. Her fall is iminent. Run into the ground by her own kind and infested with foreign leeches.
Comment removed by staff.
To reiterate a valid point, Illegal mexicans and other illegals need to be deported to keep this rip-off artist and artists like her off the citizen's rolls.
I happen to know Ms. Parra. If you knew her you would know she is an example for ALL of us. Yes, she is an immigrant, a legal immigrant, much like my people, from Europe, were over 100 years ago.
Ms. Parra is the 'cream of the crop. She speaks fluent English and holds at least (3) licenses in business realated fields. When she came to the U.S. she spoke zero English just 12 years ago. She is honest, dependable, and loyal. I might add, she is a patriot for our country.
Immigrants like Ms. Parra, should be held in high esteem as an example of hope for others to know how truly great our country is if they work hard for their goals.
We can not blame the people for doing what pelple do. People want the best for themselves and their families just like ALL our forefathers and mothers did, with exception to Native Americans who were already here.
We all know where the blame lays. The blame is at the feet of the Congress of the United States of America. For if they did not want a failed immigration policy they would fix it. In fact, the root of all our current problems can be found at the feet of our Congress.
Illegal Immigration is a very serious problem in our country and yet NO ONE in our government even mentions this problem. Rosa Parra is a legal immigrant. Our country was founded on LEGAL immigration. That is the big difference. I too am sick to death of the abuses of illegal aliens on our country.
1. They don't and won't learn our language, we must print and say everything in English and Spanish.
2. They over crowd our schools with their children
3. They over crowd our hospitals with their illness
4. They DO NOT pay taxes
5. They vote for any politician that pomises more entitlements that they can enjoy at the taxpayers expense. (Why are they allowed to vote)
Our country is quickly becoming bankrupt and a giant majority of the problem is due to our current open border situation. Our current Adminstration just loves it as it keeps them in power. I have read all of the angry comments above and agree, most of us are angry at the way our government is legislating us into socialism. However, Rosa Parra and the immigrants like her are not part of this problem. The difference is LEGAL vs ILLEGAL and she is Legal.
I think the problem with stories like this is that most of the morons that read it see what they want.Not the real truth of the matter.Rosa Parra is here legal with our govenments blessing.She has endured the red tape of coming here to make a better life for her and her family.As I read this artical I see a strong hard working lady that has overcome a past that most of us will never know.I'm ashamed with all the unkind and willful attacts on the lady.All you people have to do is READ the story.It says it all.OPEN YOUR EYES and Minds if you have them.Wecome people like this fine Leagal Immigant into our country to have that chance we all take for granted to be more than we are if we work hard.She at the very least deserves the same support that we would give those that were born here and worked as hard to get ahead.We need to get a grip on the hate mongers in this country.There is a huge differance between LEGAL AND ILLEGAL.Lets all try to know the diffeance.
Maybe she can become a teacher to help with anchor babies. By the time she graduates,She will be able to speak to a full class of illegals on how to work the system at the cost of others.
Thanks Afvet, I appreciate your candid comment! Now, I know you are a racist-bigot. If we ever meet, I will kindly slap you with my U.S.passport.
Keep up the quality dialogue Afvet, we need to continue to create community for all Las Vegas residents.
Another point, this "illegal" earned a masters degree this year from a great research university last June. I surpassed your expectations for me!!! And probably for your kids, too!
The illegal alien in question in the article should be reminded that she is stealing a citizen's rightful claim to educational benefits. If she gets treatment for a yeast infection, she cheats one of women citizens out of that healthcare dollar.
Who paid for the masters degree?
For those who have little-to-no-understanding about the eligibility requirements for federal student aid, here is a bit of reading for you:
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/faq003.htm
JSTACK - Unless you: are not a citizen or eligible noncitizen; do not have a SSN; are not registered for the Selective Service (if male); do not have a high school diploma or GED; are not enrolled in an ELIGIBLE program; do not have a drug conviction; and are not in default on previous aid... you qualify for federal aid. Even if you do not demonstrate financial need, you will at least qualify for unsubsidized loans.
If you meet all of the eligibility requirements, I suggest going back to CCSN to discuss it further and perhaps readdress your eligibility.
As the article states (and which some seem to have overlooked or misinterpreted): "When she gains the status of permanent resident sometime next year, she can then apply for student loans."
So you see, she is not "stealing" any sort of student aid from anyone. Once she becomes a permanent resident, then she is just as eligible as a citizen. Further, there is not a fixed number of federal loans available. So, again, she is not "stealing" anything from anyone.
As for taxes, when making the statement "They (illegal immigrants) DO NOT pay taxes" the type of tax should be specified. While Nevada does not have income taxes, it is the case that the state does indeed have sales taxes. In fact, according to the UNLV Center for Business and Economic Research, taxable sales account for the greatest revenue generation in the state (http://cber.unlv.edu/snecon.html). Who contributes to this revenue source via tax? Everyone. Everyone who purchases something that is taxable. Sales tax knows no limitations on citizenship.
So you see, if you remove a fairly significant portion of the population from any sort of tax base, there are potential economic consequences that should be thought through.
Oh wait...
By RHG "This should be called the "Rewarding Illegal Alien Lawbreaker Act."
Exactly!
I know for certain you are not suppose to be in the country while you're applying @ least that's what their "rules" state. & what for the other immigrants here in "legal limbo" under different circumstances beyond their control? do they get a pass on the bureaucratic red tape cutting as do their counterparts? Counterparts, who for sake of making a bad decision in a mate-which is completely within their control, should not have been here in the first place...
AGAIN!Who paid for the masters degree?
The taxpayer paid for the master's degree. But, spock, do you really believe an Illegal Mexican has the wherewithal to obtain one?
direct-loan services (i.e. student loans).
who paid for your masters degree? wait, you would need to complete high school in order to pursue a M.A. - so that would eliminate Afvet and Spock.
adrian,Your ignorance is profound yet simplimatic.I'm the big looser and will continue to be as long as this country countinues in this path!
Only Illegal Mexicans pretending to be master's candidates would assume fiancial and other pertinent matters about total strangers on the internet, spock.
you guys are too much! i would send my CV, but I would prefer not to be stalked by white-trash anti-latino individuals. have a good day.
afvet, maybe you should enroll in a remedial english class at CSN. your sentence structure mirrors a 2nd grader.
Stalked! Don't you mean apprehended and deported?
You guys are infatuated with me, I am flattered and disgusted. <cough> white trash <cough>
I've sent numerous letters to the Border Patrol offices in Washington requesting their teams work the ghetto/barrio areas in Las Vegas in a prelude to all out war with the illegals that is to come sometime soon, not too far off in the future.
congrats, you should be proud of yourself.
adrian, Don't get so full of yourself little man. You call me white trash, I call you too far from home.
Doing one's patriotic duty is a citizen's way of saying "Thank you,America, for providing me with an opportunity to live an illegal-free life".
Your right, I was born in old Mexico (California) and live in Las Vegas, NV. Long trip....
illegal-free life...I do not believe that will even happen, as long as your republican friends want cheap labor and large profits.
The time draweth nigh, when the USG returns to the notion of enforcing its immigration laws.
Bye Bye Mojado.
bye afvet, i'm proud of you! your bilingual, what's next? are you going to attend community college for a certificate in white trash studies?
spock and others like him really don't care about money. They are more worried the poor immigrants getting ahead.
If you really cared about govt wasting tax money, memorize every name of AIG execs who received the million dollar bonuses and send them letter asking for money back.
I would bet none of you know even a single name of those thieves. But you know how to spell Ms Parra name.
You pick on Ms. Parra because she is easy target and pick on.
Let me ask those know-it-all can't name one single AIG exec and why you are not outraged about their welfare million dollar checks? Because they are are too tough for you and like school bullies you pick on the weakest of society because they get few crumbs- .0000001% of what the idiot from AIG got.
The govt wrote 150 B I L L I O N dollar check after thinking about if for 2 minutes and then those guys divided the money as bonuses. Where is the outrage and where are clamor for criminal charges for those thieves from you rightous people who want to live in illegal-free life?
You folks waste too much time blaming wrong people who are not the part of current problem causing high unempolyment and recession which was caused by wasting of tax money by lazy republicans because they did not due dilligence in tracking these criminals.
wow, thanks aroundworld365 - you are correct! it is easier to alienate "illegals" than it is to challenge multimillionaires.
WOW,Thanks aroundworld and adrian!You dudes had me all along. Here I thought I could slip one by you boy's every now and then but that's just not to be. Your vast knowledge and knack for the obvious proves that the little guy like myself can't possibly hold court with the like's of such a phenomenal brain trust. That being said,Do you think the american tax payer would be better off if they didn't have to support the illegal onslaught. I'm sorry, The temporary tourists.
The illegals keep assuming things about what we anti-illegals and anti-big government folks want to happen. I oppose any government bailout for any reason, for anyone. Whether its an AIG crook on Wall Street, or an ACORN crook in New Orleans, or an Pro-Illegal Pro-Mojado non-profit in SC Los Angeles, they all should NOT be funded by taxpayer dollars. Our tax dollars should be used to take care of national defense, seniors, and orphans and widows. The rest of you need to fend for yourselves. It's called American Capitalism. We need to return to a pre-1900 government and start over again.
capitalism has been extremely successful in our country especially in the last 5 years. What is our deficit level? 3 trillion dollars?!?!?!
adrian, Hey little dude, Are you saying that capitalism is wrong? Listen pansy a$$, Why don't you take your communist self to a country that fits you better!If not for capitalism you and your's would still be trying to figure out what a shoelace does.
spock - so, are you saying our country being in deficit is a good thing?
obviously, i participated in the capitalist system, if i have better job and more education than you.
so, before you make wild statements about me being a communist/illegal/liberal blah blah blah...get your facts straight.
for all i know you live in your mother's house, jobless, and using up your 1992 computer with dial-up.