COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Monday, June 1, 2026 1:11 p.m. PRESENT: COUNCILWOMAN NINA AHMAD, CHAIR COUNCILWOMAN QUETCY M. LOZADA, VICE-CHAIR COUNCILWOMAN CINDY BASS COUNCILMAN MICHAEL DRISCOLL COUNCILWOMAN RUE LANDAU
Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to Philadelphia City Council's Committee on Public Health and Human Services. I now note that the hour has come. Mr. Sham, would you please call the roll.
I note for the record that a quorum of this committee is present and the hearing is called to order. This is a public hearing of the Committee on Public Health and Human Services considering testimony on Bill No. 260303. Mr. Sham, would you read the title of the bill please.
Bill No. 22 260303, amending Title 21 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Miscellaneous," to add a chapter 1 entitled U Visa and T Visa Certifications, providing a process for certified certifying agencies, including timely responses to requests, confidentiality of requests, guidelines for the grant and or denial of a request, and other procedures, all under certain terms and conditions.
11 Thank you. Before we call up the 12 first panel, I would like to 13 recognize myself for some opening 14 remarks. 15 Good afternoon, everyone 16 and thank you again for all being 17 here. I want to start with the 18 people this bill is about. They 19 are our neighbors. They survived 20 something terrible, a serious 21 crime, in some cases human 22 trafficking. And then they did one 23 of the hardest things a frightened 24 person can do. They came forward, they helped. Federal law created two protections for them, the U Visa and the T Visa, but there is a catch. A survivor cannot apply on their own. First, a local agency has to sign a certification confirming they cooperated. Without that signature, the federal application does not even begin here. In Philadelphia, that signature comes from three places: the Police Department, the District Attorney's Office, the Department of Human Services. And right now there is no shared policy of how they handle these requests. No 19 timeline, no clear process, no 20 explanation when the answer is no. 21 We are not the first to 22 see this. Several states have 23 already formalized their process. 24 Here in Pennsylvania, House Bill 1 1371 was introduced by Rep. Hohenstein during the 2023 to 2024 regular session. Tried to do the same statewide. It was the right idea, but it never passed. So while we wait on the Commonwealth, our survivors wait too. Philadelphia is going to act instead. Bill 260303 asks our certifying agency to do four reasonable things: First, respond on a clear timeline with a faster track for people who cannot afford to wait, people facing deportation and families racing the clock because some of these protections reach a survivor's parent, children and younger siblings, but only while the survivor is under 21. Once they cross that age, that protection for family can disappear for good. A slow signature can be the thing that ends it. Second, protect confidentiality. Third, give a written reason when the answer is no. And fourth, stop holding the wrong things against people, like how long ago the crime happened or whether charges were ever filed. This is also about public safety. When survivors fear coming forward, they stay silent. In a city where victims stay silent is less safe for all of us. Mayor Parker says Philadelphians should be able to see, touch and feel what their government does for them. That is exactly what this bill delivers. Instead of silence, a survivor gets a date on the calendar and a written answer they can hold in their hand, something they can see, something they can feel. We have excellent witnesses here to help us get this right. I especially want to thank Solveig Olson-Strom of Justice at Work and Stephanie Costa of the District Attorney's Office, who worked closely with our office to develop this legislation, their guidance shaped the bill in front of us and we are grateful for it. So I'm going to stop talking and start listening. Thank you all for being here. Let us begin. Mr. Sham -- I want to first check with any of my colleagues if they have any opening comments. (No response.)
Okay. The Clerk will please call the first panel to testify on this bill.
First up, we have Francis Healy, Chief of Staff and Deputy Police Commissioner, Philadelphia Police Department; and Larry Krasner, District Attorney for the City of Philadelphia. (Witnesses approached witness table.)
Please state your name and begin your testimony. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HEALY: Good afternoon. My name is Francis Healy. I'm the Chief of Staff, as mentioned, to the Police Commissioner, and I oversee legal affairs for the Philadelphia Police Department. On behalf of Commissioner Bethel, thank you for allowing the Police Department the opportunity to testify regarding Bill No. 260303. The federal U Visa and T Visa programs were created by Congress in 2000 through the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act to encourage immigrant victims of serious crimes to cooperate with law enforcement without the fear of deportation or consequences. The program allows certain crime victims who assist police or prosecutors in investigations to seek lawful immigration status through the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services. The Philadelphia Police Department, through my office, has been involved in the investigation certification process for U Visa applications since the federal program was adopted and implemented in 2000 as the primary law enforcement agency in Philadelphia. PPD serves as a major certifyin agency authorized to complete and sign the Form I-918 Supplement B, which are the forms necessary to initiate the certification process. These forms verify that the victim was helpful, is being helpful, is likely to be helpful in the investigation or prosecution of a qualifying criminal activity. The police department's role in the U Visa process is investigation and certifying in nature. The department reviews underlying police reports, investigative records, arrest information, victim cooperation and prosecutorial involvement to determine whether an applicant satisfies the federal helpfulness requirements. Final approval or denial of the immigration status rests exclusively with ICE, not the police department. Bill 260303 clearly impose additional responsibilities on certifying agencies. However, the question of enforceability is largely academic, as the PPD existing practices have long been consistent with the requirements set forth in the bill. PPD has historically acknowledged the receipt of the U Visa requests, provided written notice and explanation for any denials and conducted subsequent reviews when additional information became available. Acting as a federally recognized certifying agency, the department has continued to support immigrant victims of qualifying crimes who cooperate with investigations, while also strengthening trust and cooperation between law enforcement and the immigrant communities. That concludes my testimony. I'm happy to answer any questions.
Please state your name and begin your testimony. We'll ask questions after you're both done. DISTRICT ATTORNEY KRASNER: Thank you. Larry Krasner, elected District Attorney -- I should say independently-elected District Attorney in Philadelphia County. I'm here with Stephanie Costa, who is the head of our Immigration Unit within the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. And I do want to offer subsequent to this hearing some talking points that Steph Costa was kind enough to prepare. I know that there has been some communication, and I want you to know that we are fully supportive of Council's efforts to make it possible for us as prosecutors to vigorously prosecute violent crimes and serious crimes that happen, and trafficking that happen against all victims, including immigrant victims. U Visas and T Visas are an incredibly important tool for prosecutors in the United States. They have been of interest to me personally since the day I took office in 2018. Our Immigration Unit did not exist previously in the D.A.'s Office, and it was created in large part based upon a very successful model that was being used by the chief prosecutor in Brooklyn at that time, with some modifications. I have signed off in one fashion or another on dozens of certifications for a very good reason. I'm going to tell you a quick story and then I'll stop, because I know you have questions, and time is of the essence. We prosecuted a case in which an actual member of MS-13, not many of them in the United States, but an actual member of MS-13, which is internationally well-known, incredibly violent shooting group had shot someone in Philadelphia. The victim needed a U Visa in order to be able to stay here and in order to be able to testify. There were things we had to do with his family overseas to protect them, because MS-13 is just the kind of group that will kill your family overseas if you testify here. Because we have that unit, because we take the U Visa, T Visa process that seriously and because we had a different president, we were able to successfully and vigorously prosecute that case, obtain a conviction against this vicious person for a vicious act. We need these U Visas. We need T Visas. Without getting into details, the current federal administration has done about everything it can to make it hard for us to prosecute serious crime. And one of the things that I hope, I hope, they are not doing is scaring away victims, but we know they are because they're arresting them outside of the courthouse. Another thing that I hope they are not doing is denying these visas. But if they are, that may explain why some of them are not coming. And we can see the concern out there in something as simple as this statistic. And then I will stop and be available for any questions you may have. There are fewer applications for U Visas, significantly fewer in this administration, especially right now. There are victims who are so afraid to engage with Customs and Immigration Service, which is connected to ICE. They're so afraid to do that, that they are running, they're running away from court, they're running away from subpoenas, they're running away from even reporting crimes committed against them. And this is an essential tool that we need to use. As an independent- elected or as a department of the City of Philadelphia, we all need to work as hard as we can to make sure that the tools that we have are used to promote public safety by successfully and vigorously prosecuting terrible crimes that are committed against anyone, including immigrants. And I want to applaud all of you in Council for the courageous stance that you have taken time and again and are trying again to take here, I suspect in order to make sure that normal functioning of prosecution and policing and DHS can occur in truly abnormal times. So I thank you for that.
Thank you for your testimony. I'll ask a question of the Police Commissioner and then open up the floor. I just wanted to ask Deputy Police Commissioner Francis Healy, in your testimony you mentioned that Bill No. 260303 clearly imposes additional responsibilities on certifying agencies. Can you explain how this policy adds additional responsibilities? The purpose of this legislation is to streamline a process for all certifying agencies, which are PPD, District Attorney's Office and DHS. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HEALY: The bill actually has specific deadlines, as when things are due. You can't find that anywhere else, so it doesn't really affect us but that's the additional responsibility. I said it's actually academic in the fact that we process them anyway in the order we receive them. They usually get back out within 30 days.
Yeah. So the reason for doing that is to make sure it's done because time does matter. As I said, particularly in somebody who's under and soon not going to be 10 21, it actually impacts their 11 entire family, what they can do. 12 So that's the reason for us making 13 sure there was some kind of a time 14 frame put in so things didn't fall 15 through the cracks. That has been 16 the feedback we have gotten about 17 things that some of these things 18 fall through the cracks. 19 And one other question I 20 wanted to ask is, so in terms of 21 you mentioned U Visas, but not the T Visas, right. So I just wanted to see if people who were applying for T Visas also came to your agency, would you be issuing those certifying letters? DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HEALY: We have the protocols in place. However, since 2000 we haven't received any T Visa applications. They've all been U Visas.
Okay. All right. Thank you. Anyone wants to ask -- so let me finish with the District Attorney and then I'll turn this over. Thank you. So the survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and other qualifying crimes delay reporting due to fear, trauma, or concerns about their immigration status. How might a provision preventing denials based solely on the passage of time help ensure the survivors are not excluded from the certification process? Meaning that delay in time should not be held against them when they're asking for that certification. DISTRICT ATTORNEY KRASNER: I totally agree with that. I mean look, ideally, if we have a credible victimization that meets these legal standards, we should turn this around in two hours. We should turn it around before the close of business. We should turn it around if we have to do a couple things 24/48 hours. It's absolutely essential in these times that we move quickly on these matters.
Thank you. I know the DA has to leave in a few minutes. I wanted to open the floor to my colleagues. I recognize Councilmember Rue Landau.
Thank you. I just wanted to just be clear to get a reality check. When I was at the Commission on Human Relations, we worked on U and T Visas relatively -- at least occasionally. Sometimes it was busier. And exactly during Trump 1.0, we had far fewer people who wanted to step forward in order to apply to them. But how long realistically, especially to the DA's office, is your turnaround time? We hear from the Police Department that they definitely do it within 30 days. Is there a backlog at the DA's Office? DISTRICT ATTORNEY KRASNER: I think the short answer is heck no. Usually, when it's put in front of me, it gets signed within 10 minutes. But let me have my expert Steph Costa speak to that.
Similarly to what you're saying, some weeks we see 20, some weeks we see --
Oh, yeah. Stephanie Costa, immigration counsel at the DAO. Some weeks we see two requests, some weeks we see 20. So of course, that dictates how quickly I can get to it. But about two weeks is the average, no 13 more than a month. And sometimes if it takes a month, it's because I'm trying to coordinate with the specially-assigned attorney to make sure that I have all the information that's correct before I sign off on the application. But no more than 30 weeks. If there's an urgency like an age-out issue or the victim has an immigration court hearing coming up, then we do try to turn it over within 48 hours if we can.
Great. Thank you. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HEALY: I can just add that a lot of the delay, but the issue is you have to look into the records, but then we also look into the court history to see whether or not they showed up in the court or anything along those lines. So we do a good investigation before, but also sometimes identifying the individuals, the names can get very confusing with surnames and stuff like that. So I have an officer dedicated in my office that does this specifically. And she's a bear. She goes through this stuff and then she pulls out the records, so 30 days is an average. But as to what was just mentioned, we'll get calls, a lot of these victims are represented by counsel. So we'll get the calls from counsel saying, listen, we have a problem, either can you recertify because we've done some certifications and you need a recertification of the time periods extended on their side, not ours, and we'll prioritize them and put them up front and try to -- our goal is always get them out as quickly as possible, but a lot of times also they won't give enough information in the form. And so, we will go back and forth a lot with that, but make sure they get the information so they can file 18 accurately.
Thank you very much. And I just wanted to add that we actually changed it. We had a 30-day limit on it first. But in conversation with the DA's Office, we made it 90 days. So in the case that you had to do more work, you had that ability to do that. I want to recognize Councilmember O'Rourke.
First of all, thank you, Madam Chair, for hosting this hearing and acknowledging my presence today. I apologize for stepping out. I don't know if these questions were already asked while I was out, but I just wanted to get these on the record to our panel. Also, good afternoon to D.A. Krasner. I'm sorry I missed your name.
Thank you, Stephanie, for your work. And good afternoon to you as well. Commissioner Healy, I wanted to ask you two questions: How many U Visas does PPD investigate yearly? And how many of those are approved by the USCIS? DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HEALY: Well, in the last five years we've done 1084, in the last five years. Year-to-date we have 90 on average. We've been increasing since 2021. It's actually been increasing from 180 in 2021 to 229 received applications. The disapprovals are year-to-date 45. When I say disapproves, a lot of times they'll go back for more information. We initially disapprove them and then they'll say, listen, we don't have enough information and they give us back another -- not reapply, but they'll give us additional information and we ultimately certify. A lot of times the disapprovals will be a result of either the individual victim being also a perpetrator of a crime in another venue of some sort or wanted. You'd be surprised. People apply for the U Visa certification when they're still wanted for criminal charges in other jurisdictions. So there's a vast variety of why we'll disapprove. But the good thing is we don't disapprove the victim if the case didn't get charged. If somebody didn't get charged, if the case got dismissed or any of those things are not a disqualifying factor, so regardless of how long it was. So originally when this first passed, there was concern that, well, this is 10 years old, this is 5 years old. That's not relevant towards this the U Visa certification process. We don't bother that. The issue is we do the best we can, but we get a substantial amount of numbers every week that come in to the point where I have a dedicated officer that handles these specifically in my office.
So when you send them back, that's fairly normative. So how does that affect the time frame? What's the normal time frame for a full process and ultimate certification or full investigation and certification? DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HEALY: Well, within 30 days we send the initial -- if it's approved, we don't hear back.
So 30 days without the -- DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HEALY: I don't hear back --
-- if it's a clean approval. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HEALY: Say that again. I'm sorry.
So 30 days if it's a clean approval. But if it gets sent back, what's the normal time roughly? DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HEALY: Within 30 days. I mean, we're working fast to get them out the door because I have that many backing up.
Understood. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HEALY: But to your point of whether or not how many ICE is approved, I don't get that notification.
Okay. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HEALY: I know there's only 10,000 I believe annually per year that they approve.
Thank you. I know that District Attorney has a victim's family coming. So if no one has any questions further for the D.A., we would like to excuse you, District Attorney. DISTRICT ATTORNEY KRASNER: Thank you very much. Steph Costa will remain. We do by the way have data consistent with the prior question about the number of applications and number of denials from our office. And I thank you for your --
Thank you. I'll have Stephanie respond to that part of your question. DISTRICT ATTORNEY KRASNER: -- attention.
Sorry. Stephanie Costa for the DA's Office. Our numbers are relatively consistent with the police department 2024 and 2025 respectively. We received about 230 or so applications each of those years. Year-to-date we've received 67, which is actually a pretty big drop-off from years past, which could have something to do with the allegations that ICE has been targeting individuals with applications pending for U Visas for removal, which previously was not the administration's practice. But to give you a sense, in 2025 we received about 230. We denied about 40 of them and about were remained open until the 23 following year. That's because 24 when the request is based on a pending prosecution, sometimes we have to wait until a trial happens or something like that in order to certify. But the rest of those were approved.
We have Tara Gontek, Chief of Staff to Pennsylvania State Representative Joe Hohenstein. (Witness approached witness table.)
Good afternoon. Please state your name and begin your testimony.
Thank you. Good morning. I am Tara Gontek. I'm Chief of Staff for Representative Joe Hohenstein. I will be reading his testimony today, as he was unable to be here. He is in session in Harrisburg, hopefully getting ready to pass a budget. And I also want to thank Madam Chair and the entire committee for taking up this very important piece of legislation. And I know the representative also sends his heartfelt gratitude. Thank you, Chair. As the sponsor of companion bills to protect trafficking and crime victims in Harrisburg, I want to thank my Council colleagues for taking up this issue. At its heart, these are crime victim protection and public safety bills. They will give a tool to law enforcement that will enable police and investigators to secure victim cooperation in the prosecution of crime. They will give noncitizen victims of serious crimes the message that we see them and we are ready to support them. When this bill passes, we will be standing up for the safety of our neighborhoods, towns and cities, because when a victim, any victim, comes out of the shadows, the light that is cast makes everyone a bit safer. I want to provide some basic information based on my experience as an immigration attorney who has presented and prepared numerous U and T Visa cases over the years. These visas do not give something for nothing. There are no handouts in the world of violent crime. S. citizen, is a victim of a serious crime, they must demonstrate that they have suffered serious harm. Then they must cooperate with the police, providing information and testimony that often places them at risk a second time, and then they must prove their case to immigration examiners. , at which time they have to go through the entire process again. S. citizenship. S. citizenship with processing delays, criminal court delays, and just the standard eligibility wait times is more than 15 years. What is the harm people suffer to make them eligible for a U Visa, you might ask? Well, to answer that, I can let you know the stories of some of my clients. -born teenage daughter into the police to talk through the details of molestation by a family member that the girl had just revealed to her; and the newsstand owner born in Kazakhstan, who watched his livelihood go up in flames from an arsonist's match. The testimony of all of these individuals made their community safer, and every victim who is empowered to stand up makes us all safer. A U Visa can provide safety through a pathway to citizenship and legal employment. State and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and judges play a crucial role in the U Visa process by certifying that the victim has assisted with the detection, investigation, and prosecution of the crime. Without this, a crime victim cannot obtain a U Visa. Unfortunately, certifying agencies are not required to have an internal policy or procedure for U Visa certification, which can lead to unclear information and delays for victims. Current Pennsylvania law does not provide the clear guidance certifying agencies need to process U Visa certification requests quickly and comprehensively. Ultimately, this lack of guidance can lead to incomplete petitions and delays for victims. It also means the crime victims in different parts of the state get different results, even when the crimes they suffered are identical. Right now non-citizen crime victims are subject to discrimination, prejudgment, and ignorance in many parts of the state. Sometimes the differences are intentional. Sometimes they are the result of lack of knowledge. By establishing clear, standardized procedures for local officials to meet the federal requirements, along with training in these requirements, we need to make sure that every victim is treated with the respect, dignity, and human kindness that their suffering and courage deserve.
This legislation will ensure a more clear, more consistent and victim- centered approach to the U Visa certification process by requiring officials to develop a publicly accessible protocol. It will establish requirements for certifying officials and agencies related to request processing time frames, record keeping, language access, training, and victim notification by providing a blueprint for the U Visa certification process. We can empower certifying agencies to help victims produce the strongest petition possible for approval. I also want to recognize my clients over the years who took the brave step to stand up to people who abused them or victimized them. These brave souls refused to be defined by victimhood, but rather using the tools provided under federal law, they stood up for themselves, took control over their own lives and became fuller, more complete participants in our society. They taught me about the perseverance of the human spirit. And even though they do not have citizenship papers, they are quintessential examples of good citizenship. The last thing our society needs is for crime victims to stay in the shadows. The last thing that a victim of a serious crime needs is to face systemic barriers that keep them in the dark. Let's all step towards the light, clear a path to safety and citizenships for these vulnerable Pennsylvanians and vote yes on this legislation. Thank you very much.
Thank you so much. Please thank Rep. Hohenstein for powerful testimony. This also was very illuminating for all of us on this committee to understand the nuance involved on all of this. So thank you very much. Anybody have any questions? (No response.)
I just want to make a comment. I followed Joe's career. It represents Hohenstein's career. He's really been out front on this issue and just give him our regards and tell them to get us a budget, a good one.
We have Chris Setz-Kelly, Assistant Chief Immigration Legal Practice, Defender Association; Isabel Abreu, Managing Attorney, HIAS PA; Miguel Romero, Survivor Staff Attorney, Nationalities Service Center; Solveig Olson-Strom, Independence Foundation Fellow at Justice at Work; and Lucas Nascimento, Community Justice Partnerships. (Witnesses approached witness table.)
Good afternoon. Anyone can start with their testimony. Please state your name before that.
Hello. I am Isabel Abreu. I am a managing attorney at HIAS Pennsylvania, a nonprofit agency founded in 1882. Through immigration legal services, we support low-income immigrants as they build new lives in our community. For the last years, 6 I have represented immigrant 7 survivors of domestic violence and 8 sexual assault. 9 Much of my work involves 10 preparing U and T Visa cases for survivors of violent crime and human trafficking. For many survivors, lack of immigration status is used by abusers as a tool of control. Abusers often threaten deportation, separation from children or arrest if survivors seek help. As a result, many are afraid to report crimes or cooperate with law enforcement. I am here to testify in support of this bill establishing clear standards for U and T Visa certification requests in Philadelphia. These visas provide important federal protections, but access depends on certifications from local law enforcement. Yet there is currently no uniform system governing how local agencies respond. In my work, I have seen how this lack of clear protocol affects survivors seeking safety. Survivors and advocates are often left without clear guidance about where to send certification requests, whether they were received, how long they will take or if they will even receive a response. That uncertainty has real consequences. Our agency represented a survivor who was referred to our office shortly after separating from her abuser. She waited more than seven months for a response to her U Visa certification request. During that time, she experienced significant instability. While certification is only the first step in a longer process, delays and uncertainty at this stage can prevent survivors from accessing the protections Congress created for them. In the absence of a uniform process, I've also seen local law enforcement agencies adopt additional requirements that disqualify survivors from accessing these protections. Some agencies have denied certifications based on prior immigration history. This practice directly undermines the purpose of the U and T Visa program, which were specifically designed to encourage survivors to report crimes and cooperate with law enforcement. Regardless of their lack of immigration status or prior immigration histories, this bill helps ensure that local processes, or lack thereof, do not undermine access to federal protections created for immigrant survivors. The bill also strengthens and promotes public safety by encouraging survivors of crime to make reports to law enforcement. Clear and consistent standards strengthen trust in law enforcement and improve reporting and investigation of serious crimes. I urge the Council to support this legislation. Thank you.
Thank you. Please state your name and begin your testimony.
Good afternoon. My name is Solveig Olson-Strom and I'm an attorney at Justice at Work Pennsylvania, a nonprofit legal services organization that serves low-wage workers as they pursue economic and social justice. At Justice at Work, we often see workplace abuse that rises to the level of labor trafficking, particularly among immigrant low-wage workers, who are especially vulnerable to exploitation in the workplace. Traffickers will often threaten noncitizens with detention and deportation to coerce them to continue working. Now more than ever, immigrant trafficking survivors are afraid to come forward. Congress created the T Visas via the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 2000 to protect immigrant trafficking survivors from deportation and to improve public safety for all by helping trafficking survivors feel safe in reporting their trafficker and cooperating with law enforcement. T Visas also provide work authorization and can ultimately offer a pathway to lawful permanent residents and U.S. citizenship. To be eligible for a T Visa, survivors must show willingness to comply with reasonable requests for assistance in the detection, investigation or prosecution of the trafficking. A signed certification form from a law enforcement agency greatly strengthens a T Visa application and is considered valuable evidence of a survivor's willingness to cooperate with law enforcement in the investigation of their trafficking. However, currently there's no expectation -- currently, there's no expectation that law enforcement agencies respond to a request for certification, let alone within a certain time frame. Agencies can also be unfamiliar with the certification requirements. For example, there's no requirement that the agency actually engage in an investigation or prosecution of the trafficker following a survivor's report in order for the agency to agree to sign the certification. A lack of consistent practices and shared understanding across agencies leads to opaque processes and delays following certification requests that can re-traumatize survivors as they're trying to recover and rebuild their lives. This legislation will create consistency among law enforcement agencies and reduce barriers for survivors seeking protection. Recently we had a client with a pending T Visa who was unfortunately detained by ICE. As part of our efforts to secure his release, we requested an updated certification from the DA's Office based on the labor trafficking he experienced here in Philadelphia. Thankfully, the DA responded quickly and sent us the updated signed cert, and I'm happy to report that his T Visa was approved and he has been released. But the survivor was lucky. There was no requirement or policy that the DA even respond to our request. This legislation will ensure that all survivors have a similar experience across all certifying agencies every time. Thank you.
Thank you. Please state your name and begin your testimony.
Good afternoon. My name is Chris Setz- Kelly and I am the Assistant Chief of Immigration in the Defender Association's Community Defense Unit. I'm testifying in support of Bill 260303. U Visas and T Visas are federal protections created by Congress to help immigrant survivors of serious crime and human trafficking. These protections recognize a simple reality: People are less likely to report crimes or cooperate with law enforcement if they fear deportation. Immigrant survivors often face barriers that make them especially vulnerable; language access issues, isolation, financial dependence, fear of law enforcement and fear that their immigration status could be used against them. Congress created these visa protections so survivors could seek safety and justice without risking removal from the United States. U Visas are available to victims of serious crimes, such as domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, stalking, kidnapping and felonious assault, who have suffered significant harm and are willing to cooperate with law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of these crimes. T Visas provide similar protections for survivors of human trafficking. But before someone can even apply to the federal government for one of these protections, they first need a certification from a local law enforcement agency confirming that they were a victim and helpful in the case. That certification can come from agencies like the Police Department, the District Attorney's Office or the Department of Human Services, but that's where many survivors get stuck. Right now there are no 1 consistent statewide standards in Pennsylvania governing how agencies handle these requests. That means access to protection often depends less on whether someone qualifies under federal law and more on which office happens to review their certification request. Some survivors wait months or years for responses. Others receive no explanation for denials at all. In some cases, requests are denied because too much time has passed since the crime occurred because no charges were filed or because a case did not end in a conviction, even though federal law does not require any of these things. More than 20 states have already adopted laws creating clearer standards for U Visa and T Visa certifications, but Pennsylvania has not. Efforts to pass statewide legislation have stalled, leaving cities like Philadelphia without a uniform system, whereas other cities such as New York and Chicago have local policies in place as well. Bill No. 260303 helps close that gap by creating a fairer and more transparent practice across Philadelphia agencies. The bill creates clear timelines for agencies to respond to requests, including expedited review for survivors facing urgent consequences, such as deportation proceedings. It requires written explanations when requests are denied, creates an opportunity for reconsideration, strengthens confidentiality protections and prevents agencies from denying certifications for reasons that conflict with federal law. Most importantly, this bill is about trust. Public safety depends on people feeling safe enough to report crimes, seek help and cooperate with investigations. When immigrant communities fear that coming forward could place them or their families at risk, crimes go unreported and survivors are left vulnerable. The bill sends an important message to immigrants in our city. If you're a victim of a crime in Philadelphia, the city's agencies will treat your request fairly, handle it consistently and protect your information. This legislation will not determine who ultimately receives a visa. That decision remains with the federal government. But it will help ensure that survivors in Philadelphia at least have a fair opportunity to access the process Congress created for them.
In the absence of statewide action, Philadelphia has the opportunity and the responsibility to lead here. We urge City Council to pass Bill 6 260303. Thank you.
Thank you so much for your testimony. Please state your name and begin your testimony.
Good afternoon, Madam Chair and members of the committee. My name is Miguel Angel Romero. I am Survivor -- I'm a staff attorney in the Survivor Services Department at National League Service Center, which is a nonprofit in Philadelphia that provides comprehensive support to immigrants. I primarily work with survivors of human trafficking and crime to obtain U and T Visas from the federal government. As background, U Visas are available to immigrants who suffer mental or physical harm arising from certain times of criminal activity. In contrast, T Visas are available to survivors of sex and labor trafficking as part of the application process. I work with immigrants to obtain certifications from law enforcement, verifying that they assisted in the investigation or prosecution of the criminal activity at issue in their application. U Visa applicants must provide one of these certifications in order to proceed. For T Visa applicants, supplying a certification is strongly advised. In my work, I see firsthand how difficult and often time-consuming it can be for survivors to navigate the system in order to apply for a U or a T Visa. For example, delays have serious consequences. Delay can postpone an immigration filing, prolong uncertainty and leave someone without a pathway towards safety and stability. During that period, survivors may be more vulnerable to continue exploitation, retaliation and pressure not to participate in the investigation. Further, when a person has already experienced trauma, uncertainty and silence from government agencies can become yet another barrier to seeking protection and justice. Confidentiality is equally critical. Survivors are often understandably afraid that disclosing their immigration status could expose them to enforcement consequences, retaliation or renewed control by an abuser or trafficker. Strong confidentiality protections help ensure that people can request certification without fear the information they share will be used improperly, and that protection is not just a matter of privacy. It is essential to survivor safety, to meaningful access to relief and to build in the trust needed for survivors to come forward and cooperate with investigations. Bill No. 260303 would improve the certification process in many ways. Among other things, it would direct applicable agencies to develop dedicated protocols for handling the U and T Visa-related certification request. It would also help reduce delays at a time when civility and safety matter most and it would protect survivor confidentiality in the current climate. When anti-immigration sentiment too often shapes public conversation, it is specifically important for the city to respond with empathy, common sense and humanity. Survivors of crime and trafficking should not be made to feel that coming forward would expose them to more danger or less dignity. Further, we want to live in a society where people report crimes and help with investigations that serve law enforcement in its pursuit of justice. And it is good for everyone because we all should want safe communities. For all of these reasons, I urge Council to pass Bill No. 260303, create a process that is timely, consistent, confidential and truly responsive to the needs of survivors. Thank you.
Thank you for your testimony. I think we have one more witness here. Please state your name and begin your testimony.
Good morning, everyone. My name is Attorney Lucas Nascimento. Happy Liberation Month, everyone. Thank you to Councilmember Ahmad, Councilmember Lozada, Councilmember O'Rourke, Councilmember Driscoll and Councilmember Landau and to the Honorable Kenyatta Johnson, President of Philadelphia City Council. My name is Lucas Nascimento. I'm a public interest attorney, founder of Community Justice Partnerships. We're a 501(c)(3) organization and a public interest law firm. We were founded in 2024 so we're the little brother of many of the other excellent public interest organizations in the city. We are a team and coalition of advocates, organizers, educators, activists and lawyers who fight together and collaboratively fight for community justice here in the city of Philadelphia. Thank you for this opportunity to testify regarding Bill No. 260303. When asked by Councilmember Dr. Nina Ahmad's office to endorse this bill, it really wasn't difficult to find a lot of reasons why I should support because this bill, as an immigration advocate since 2008, this bill presents issues dear to my heart. My first legal internship was with the Legal Aid office in Florida representing victims of domestic violence under VAWA, Violence Against Women Act. At CJP, we respectfully request an opportunity to work with each one of your offices. We want to provide statistics and research to show how this bill and others like it are so critical to protecting victims of violent crimes and trafficking in our city. We can offer to provide pro bono assistance and other services necessary to make sure this bill is implemented effectively and efficiently. I'd also like the opportunity to work with members of City Council, also with the District Attorney's Office, the Philadelphia Police Department, the Office of Inspector General, the Defender's Association of Philadelphia as well as the American Immigration Lawyers Association and any other legal service providers or volunteers here in the city who want to help make sure this bill is not only implemented, but it's strong as its language. Immigrants' rights here in America are human rights. When the federal government hinders, harms or hurts anyone's rights within our borders, it can, will and does affect all of us, citizens and non-citizens alike. Similarly, when the people of the City of Philadelphia speak up, join forces, speak out and take action, we all benefit as one city, one people. The United States, along with a number of other countries, provide for crime victims' rights. Some even provide a bill of rights for victims of crime. I believe that this bill, upon its adoption, will become part of that process of protecting the rights of crime victims and victims of trafficking. Bill No. 260303 provides all the important protections for undocumented victims of crimes and victims of trafficking. It ensures that victims of crimes and trafficking will be given the proper procedures and due process. I want to highlight those key terms, due process by our local government agencies when issuing certifications of cooperation with local law enforcement in the prosecution of their cases, the prosecution of their abusers and the prosecution of their traffickers. S. Congress codified the U Visa program at Immigration Nationality Act, INA 101 Subsection (a)(15)(U) and the T Visa program at INA 101 Subsection (a)(15)(T). Congress has already spoken and has given us, as a people, the City of Philadelphia, the road map and how it's up to our city, our lawmakers, our advocacy, organizations and our law enforcement agencies to get the job done, ensure a path to legalization for undocumented individuals who cooperate as witnesses in these important criminal cases, in which they are victims.
It goes without question that the U Visa and T Visa programs enjoy overwhelming support by law enforcement agencies all around the country, so this bill sets the tone for all agencies of the City of Philadelphia to be not only more aware of the crime of trafficking, how it affects a diverse and multinational, ethnic and racial population in our city, how the undocumented are often targeted and victimized by traffickers and their abusers because of their vulnerability, their limited English-speaking ability. We need to be aware of the causes and roots of trafficking, domestic violence, why crimes go unreported and further, how victims of domestic violence and trafficking are often too afraid to speak to report their crimes, and many times are unfortunately overlooked by law enforcement. We need a law enforcement with cultural sensitivity and language skills and resources to properly investigate and prosecute these crimes, so that undocumented persons will not be afraid, come out of the shadows and come forward as cooperating witnesses in their cases. This bill will spread like wildfire to proper awareness, right attitude among members and leaders of our city agencies who should be there to help undocumented victims of crime and trafficking and domestic violence who should never be stigmatized, judged or prosecuted or even deported for reporting their crimes. A few statistics. According to the Philadelphia Police Department, and forgive me if I don't have it right on the facts, crime data and crime statistics, over 4500 arrests were executed in 2025 for violent crimes. According to the National Incident Based Reporting System, NIBRS and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, nearly 50% of these interpersonal crimes may be domestic violence-related. S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics and National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) reports that nearly 50% of domestic violence crimes actually go unreported every year around the country. Again, without question undocumented persons are even less likely to report crimes to which they are victims without the proper protection for fear of retaliation, not only by their abusers and their traffickers, but even sometimes by prosecutors and even law enforcement. The City of Philadelphia, our laws and our people can be a model for the nation, I believe that, and the world. That said, in terms of ensuring the protection, promising organic laws, the founding documents the Bill of Rights, I would like to ask this final question, what rights does this bill really protect, if not human rights? To quote from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in the case Wiley v. Woods cited at 393 Pa. " Due process is human rights. And that's what this bill will accomplish to protect when it's passed. Thank you.
Thank you for your testimony. We'll ask questions of our panelists and I'll open up the floor to my colleagues. I know one of my colleagues has to leave early so I will actually yield the floor to you if you have a question and then I'll go.
7 Okay. I have a quick question for 8 Isabel Abreu. You mentioned about 9 that one survivor who waited seven 10 months for a response to a U Visa 11 certification. Do you recall -- I 12 mean, we have everybody say they're 13 very quick, they do everything very 14 fast and we really don't need this 15 because we're all doing everything 16 beautifully. So I wondered if 17 you're able to share where this 18 certification applied to? 19
Thank you 20 for the question. So HIAS 21 Pennsylvania has requested 22 certifications from the 23 Philadelphia Police Department, 24 District Attorney's Office, the Department of Human Services. We've been doing this work for many years. We have gotten certifications from all of those agencies over the course of our time doing this work, but it is not uncommon for us to encounter delays, denials and nonresponsiveness. And the example that I gave was regarding a certification that we requested from the Philadelphia Police Department.
I just wanted that on the record. Thank you. I also wanted to ask Solveig Olson-Strom, you noted that traffickers often use threats of detention and deportation to silence victims and delays. How do you see this being perceived by those traffickers to say now there's a clear process? And would that stop the coercion as a result of this?
Thank you for the question. I mean, it's hard to say. I honestly don't know to what extent most traffickers are aware of the T Visa program. But there's a lot of misunderstanding about the rights of immigrants and undocumented people. Another tactic that traffickers often use is try to convince the person that they have no rights, that if they go to law enforcement, they'll be the ones arrested, they don't have a right to be paid for their work, they don't have any workplace protections, things like that. So I think this bill 19 offering this kind of sort of security for survivors when they do reach out will help social services providers like us and others show potential victims that there is a path forward, a path to safety that is more reliable and secure than without the protections this bill 3 provides.
I want to thank all of you for your testimony and we all have it in writing as well. I appreciate it and we will look forward -- hopefully, this bill will pass and then we would like to work with you to make sure that your clients know about it, the communication, so that they can have a sense of security and feel more confident in their participation with our law enforcement. So thank you very much, all of you. And now, we will -- Mr. Sham, are there any other panels to testify on this bill?
We will now go to public testimony, public comment. Please call the first speaker on public comment.
The first 7 speaker on the public comment list 8 is Leah Hynansky. 9 (Witnesses approached 10 witness table.) 11
Good 12 morning. My name is Leah Hynansky. 13 Thank you, Councilpeople. We got 14 these wonderful signs so I thought 15 I'd show it. I'm on the Survivor 16 Board with New Day. I'm a victims 17 advocate. I'm a consultant and 18 trainer with New Day to stop 19 trafficking and I work with 20 Philadelphia Anti-Trafficking 21 Coalition and Pennsylvania Human 22 Trafficking Awareness Group. 23 Thank you, 24 Councilmembers, for this hearing today. I speak for the cries and the pain of so many children and people. I love this word protect. Being a victim of a crime so horrific is misunderstood by so many so often, and to see legislation and advocacy happen throughout Philadelphia and Pennsylvania is so promising and affirming. It is particularly heartfelt for me, as I am a survivor of child trafficking. Any crime of this magnitude is so beyond typical human comprehension. I would like to ask you to hold in your minds for a moment the physical and emotional consequences of the qualifying crimes for T and U Visas, such as human trafficking, torture, incest and more. Writing out a process and having a publicly-accessible protocol for these requests creates a physical and psychological structure of accountability that is necessary for both the agencies doing the work and the survivors of these crimes. In my experience, acknowledging and certifying that someone is a victim gives them much more access to services, care and support. People who understand us and who understand this level of trauma and know how to help us work toward healing growth -- and know how to help us work toward healing, growth and an independent and self- actualized life with choices and a voice of one's own. I absolutely agree and love that you can't deny somebody a certification based on the amount of time that has passed. We, as survivors, live with these experiences in our bodies and our brains for our whole lives. We cannot leave it. The trauma is so big that it becomes an integral part of our biology. We deserve support, understanding and a clear and streamlined and respectful and efficient process. I know that the world is sometimes afraid of the consequences of coexisting with and acknowledging crimes like these. I think we are more afraid of ourselves sometimes and our reactions to these crimes and the shame involved with them, the stigma, the marginalization, and the underreaction or overreaction. Imagine the terror and fear of the person that is the victim and how much they want safety. The sooner you bring some sense of stability into someone's life, the greater the possibility for them to heal and to become a productive and contributing member of society. Consent is a word that is misused and ignored by so many. There is sometimes a fascination with this level of trauma and a need to share with others or revictimize. It can be so difficult to process what you see and experience when interacting with victims, when their experience is so far removed from yours, which makes confidentiality even more relevant. It is critical to protect the safety of the applicant's immigration status so that they are not revictimized during the process of applying. Sharing someone's status is incredibly dangerous. It is also so difficult to trust people who have power over you, and working with authorities can feel very similar to the power and control dynamic between an abuser and a victim. It is so polarized and extreme. Structure and timeliness are important to survivors. Boundaries, trust and safety have been destroyed in our lives in such a massive way so many times and repeatedly. This level of crime typically has a disturbing history leading up to it. These are the first steps to building ourselves back and to regaining our autonomy. When the barriers faced by survivors of these crimes are met with support and care, it leads to so much growth and potential in human beings.
When people are met with empathy and care and understanding, there is so much possibility for growth and healing, and the obvious choice for that is respectful process, law and protocol. Calming the brain after serious abuse is the most effective means of helping survivors, and efficient processing of paperwork, along with safety, confidentiality and accountability of city officials leads to possibilities for work, authorizations and services that can help so much and this bill will aid in that. It is a basic human right to be timely, to issue certifications and to put reasons for denial into writing, especially considering the gravity of these crimes. Survivors are still actively involved with the crime in many ways. Because even if the crime has stopped, the experience takes so much more time to overcome. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. I hope that these words will be helpful in your decision to support Bill No. 260303. I am doing everything that I can with all my heart to try to speak on behalf of people who do not yet have a voice and who deserve one more than anyone that I know, because their story is one of survival, of strength and of knowing things that no body and no 8 mind should ever know. They deserve only the most respectful process and every kindness and support that you can offer. I urge you to please support this bill, 260303. Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak with you today.
Thank you so much for your testimony, Ms. Hynansky. Thank you always for speaking up for survivors. We deeply appreciate it, and really to highlight the psychological empowerment something like this does. The fact of having structure, the fact of having expectations, to have expectations, to allow somebody to say I deserve to have expectations is empowering and is a human right. So I thank you very much for your testimony. Mr. Sham, can you please call the next speaker.
There are no 9 other speakers on the public comment list, Madam Chair.
I would like to thank all our witnesses for joining us today. We will now temporarily end the public hearing and go into public meeting. I will note for the record that a quorum of the committee is present. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Driscoll for a motion on Bill No. 260303.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that Bill No. 24 260303 be reported from this committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading of this bill at the next session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and properly seconded that Bill No. 260303 be reported from this committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading of this bill at the next session of Council. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes have it, the motion carries. Bill 3 No. 260303 will be reported from this committee with a favorable recommendation with the request that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading at the next session of Council. Any closing remarks from anybody? (No response.)
Okay. This concludes the business before the Committee on Public Health and Human Services today. Thank you very much for your attendance. All right. Thank you so much. - - - (Committee on Public Health and Human Services concluded at 2:20 p.m.) - - - C E R T I F I C A T I O N I, hereby certify that the proceedings and evidence noted are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me in the foregoing matter, and that this is a correct transcript of the same. _______________________________ TANEHA CARROLL