A better way to encourage crime victims to step forward - Chicago Sun-Times

A man approaches a bank teller in Calumet City and demands, “Give me $10,000.” In case she balks, he adds, “I’ll kill everybody you know.”

The teller hands over all the cash she can grab, begging, “Don’t do this.” Then, as soon as she is safely out of danger, she calls 911. She tells the cops everything.

EDITORIAL

Would you call this woman, 26-year-old Cynthia Salazar, a crime victim? Of course. And did she cooperate with the police? Obviously.

But the Calumet City Police are treating Salazar like she’s part of the problem, not the solution, and other police departments across Illinois are treating people like her in the same shabby way. In doing so, they are ignoring federal law and making it harder for cops to solve crimes.

Six months after the June 2016 robbery, Salazar, who is an undocumented immigrant, applied for permanent legal residency under a federal rule that gives special consideration to people who have been victims of crime. The idea is to reward undocumented people who report a crime — because you can bet most of them won’t come forward otherwise for fear of being deported.

But as Dan Mihalopoulos and Mick Dumke of the Sun-Times reported Sunday, police departments often ignore their obligation to assist such people as required by law. That’s a good argument for a civil liberties suit. We also encourage passage of a state law, pending in the House, that would make the intent of the federal law more pointed.

The requirements for a U visa are simple: the crime must have been committed in the United States and the applicant must have been a victim. This person must also have suffered physical or mental abuse, have information about the crime and helped police with the investigation.

Then, before federal immigration officials can act, a local law enforcement agency must certify the victim cooperated with the investigation.

Salazar met all these requirements, yet she was denied certification by the Calumet City police. Why? Because no arrest has been made and, therefore, she did not assist in prosecuting the offender.

This is beyond stupid. If a crime victim fully cooperates with the police, it is not his or her fault if no arrest is made.

Mihalopoulos and Dumke also cited other cases, involving other police departments, in which a crime victim was denied certification for a U visa because the cops decided the crime was too old or an arrest was not likely.

Illinois Senate Bill 32, sponsored by Senate President John Cullerton, states that law enforcement can deny certification for a U visa only if it cannot be determined that the visa seeker really was a crime victim.

Pass the bill. It’s the decent thing to do. And it will encourage more victims to come forward.

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