KELSEY PETERSON
Posted on 11/12/2007 10:49:33 AM PST by Dubya
OMAHA, Neb. -- A 13-year-old illegal immigrant who fled to his native Mexico amid a sex scandal with his schoolteacher could be eligible to return to the United States under a new visa the government started granting the week before he disappeared.
The visa helps illegal immigrants who are victims of sex crimes. If the boy, who spent most of his life in Lexington, Neb., qualifies, he could stay legally in the United States for four years and eventually apply for permanent residency. It also would extend temporary residency to his parents and his unmarried siblings under 18, if they applied for it.
"It's a win-win," U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services spokeswoman Marilu Cabrera said of the so-called "U" visa. "It helps us and law enforcement be able to solve a crime, and it certainly helps the individual who is a victim of a crime."
The boy and middle school teacher Kelsey Peterson were found in a mall parking lot in the border town of Mexicali, Mexico, 1,500 miles from where the pair disappeared on Oct. 26. Authorities searched for them for one week.
Peterson, 25, remains in federal custody in El Centro, Calif. A judge denied bail for her Wednesday, and she was expected to be sent back to Nebraska to face federal charges of crossing state lines to have sex with a minor, which is punishable by 10 years to life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Associated Press had previously named the boy but later removed his name from stories because the most recent charges allege he was the victim of a sex crime.
The boy told the AP last week that he would be willing to return to the United States to testify against Peterson.
The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 established "U" visas to encourage illegal immigrants to report crimes against them.
Joe Stecher, the U.S. attorney for Nebraska, said that "there are various methods that we could secure his presence here for testimony purposes, and we'll just deal with the circumstances as they come up." The U visa is "something that we would have to consider as circumstances came up."
the boys parents, the ones he flew from, what is there story?
KELSEY PETERSON
You beat me by ONE SECOND!
I bet you a doh-nut she’s a Democrat!............
Boy agrees to testify in exchange for permanent residency.
Awww, geez. What next?
So this “Act” allows illegals to simply name people in the US as a sexual predator and it lets them stay here?
Everyone who knows an illegal child had better run.
Update Ping to you.
And may I ask a really dumb question? Why wasn’t the public not told about this?
Why was a 13 year old child from Mexico living in the US without his parents? Illegal? Who were his guardians?
I think this amnesty goes to any one from an y country who can claim sexual abuse, it is not just here in our country... Another open door opportunity for illegals tho.. and their parents etc.. will this never end?
This whole program sounds like an open invitation to falsely accuse any citizen of some kind of crime. National and cultural suicide. Government policy appears to be designed to create the maximum potential for violence at every level.
It appears that doling out these "U visas" is at the discression of the prosecutor.
“This whole program sounds like an open invitation to falsely accuse
any citizen of some kind of crime. National and cultural suicide.”
Careful, that sort of rational speculation can get you (and me!)
labeled as “mean-spirited”.
Muy, muy culpable!
Oh my, not exactly a looker is she.....
OK - I’d whisper but then I wouldn’t be able to read it.
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