US President Donald Trump launched his campaign for president in 2015 promising a major crackdown on undocumented immigrants, whom he characterized as “bringing crime” and as “rapists.” As president, Trump has continued to denigrate undocumented immigrants in similarly alarmist terms despite studies showing they are less likely to commit crime than people born in the United States. What has been absent from the discussion about immigrants and crime are the stories of the many courageous immigrants, such as those featured in this report, who have stepped forward in the fight against crime.

Immigration protections exist in US law that have been crucial to police and prosecutors’ ability to effectively fight crime. This report focuses on recipients of the U visa, which exists to ensure that immigrants who assist in the investigation or prosecution of violent crimes are protected from deportation. Many intervene to stop crimes or assist police at grave personal risk.

Two such courageous immigrants whose stories are detailed below are Alan Gonzalez and Linda Mendoza. The former was shot and seriously wounded when he intervened to stop the armed robbery of a store owner he barely knew. The latter, Mendoza, a victim of an armed robbery herself, called police and then provided critical information that led to the arrest and successful prosecution of the perpetrators when other witnesses were afraid to come forward. Both were undocumented at the time and risked deportation to take a stand against crime.

Report by the Human Rights Watch