Josefina Mireles, a survivor of the 2019 mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, continues to struggle with symptoms such as anxiety, fear, depression, and insomnia five years after the attack. The shooting, carried out by a man targeting Mexicans, was the deadliest attack on Hispanics in modern U.S. history, resulting in 23 deaths and dozens of injuries. Mireles, along with 49 other Mexican survivors, are seeking special visas to help them cooperate with U.S. law enforcement, but their applications are stuck in a backlog of over 344,000 applications nationwide.
The U visa, created by Congress to provide stability for immigrant victims of crime who agree to help law enforcement, allows victims to live and work lawfully in the U.S. However, the program is limited to 10,000 visas annually, leading to a growing backlog each year. The Biden administration has implemented a process for reviewing U visa applications and issuing temporary work authorizations while the applicants wait.
The survivors of the El Paso shooting have varied needs, from access to mental health services to the opportunity to live and work in the U.S. They cooperated with law enforcement in the aftermath of the tragedy and are now seeking relief through the U visa program. Memories of the trauma experienced in Texas continue to haunt them, and they are pleading with the U.S. government to review their petitions and grant them the opportunity to return to live, work, or study in the country.
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