20 Jan 2016
U Visa Applicants Face Backlogs, State Variations
Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, Jan. 20, 2016- "Only federal immigration officials can grant a U visa after a background check. Still, other police departments may be reluctant to certify applications because of politics, according to Jim Pasco, the executive director of the National Fraternal Order of Police. ... [I]t's one thing to be a good Samaritan who applies for a U visa — and it's another to actually get one: Right now, there's a backlog of almost 64,000 applications, but only 10,000 can be approved a year."