The S visa–colloquially known as the “snitch” visa–is a visa available for aliens who cooperate with law enforcement officers. The S visa is a non-immigrant visa, but it can lead to a green card once “the individual has completed the terms and conditions of his or her S classification.” “Only a federal or state law enforcement agency or a U.S. Attorney’s office may submit a request for permanent residence as an S non-immigrant on behalf of a witness or informant.”
In other words, when an alien cooperates with the government in a criminal investigation, the government can apply for the alien’s lawful permanent residency–the alien himself cannot independently apply for the green card.
The number of S visas available nationwide is quite limited. According to the Justice Department, 200 visas are available each fiscal year for “aliens who provide critical, reliable information necessary to the successful investigation or prosecution of a criminal organization, and an additional 50 per fiscal year [are available] for aliens who provide critical, reliable information concerning a terrorist organization and who qualify for a reward under the Department of State’s rewards program.”
While the visa is rarely granted, it seems to be regularly promised. The result: Many aliens who cooperate with law enforcement expect to receive an S visa, only to be left with nothing. I’ve recently witnessed this phenomena in a few of my own cases.
In one case, a young women was enlisted by her boyfriend to transport heroin from her country to the U.S. She was captured on arrival and immediately cooperated with American law enforcement. Thanks to her assistance, several drug traffickers were arrested and prosecuted. In the course of the criminal investigation, law enforcement officers promised her an S visa. Once the investigation was complete, the government failed to deliver the S visa. My client was eventually released from jail, married, and started a family. DHS left her alone for a while, but eventually placed her into removal proceedings. She now fears (quite reasonably) that the drug traffickers she informed on will seek revenge against her if she returns to her country. We applied for deferral of removal under the Convention Against Torture (the only relief she was eligible for after her conviction). However, because she was such a low-level member of the conspiracy, she was unable to identify specifically who might harm her in her country. DHS fought hard to have her deported, and the Immigration Judge ultimately found that we could not demonstrate a more-likely-than-not probability of torture, so she now faces deportation. What particularly bothers me about this case is that my client’s cooperation led directly to her fear of harm, but the U.S. government didn’t care. When they got what they wanted from her, the law enforcement agents dropped her like yesterday’s news.
In a second case, my client discovered that his attorney was operating a scheme to file fraudulent employment-based immigration petitions and false asylum claims (and no, I was not his attorney at the time – sheesh). He reported the fraud to law enforcement and actively participated in the investigation. In the end, the attorney was sentenced to prison and disbarred. Throughout the investigation, DHS and the FBI repeatedly–and in writing–promised the client an S visa and told him that the visa was being processed. Once the investigation ended, law enforcement suddenly changed their mind and informed my client that they would not pursue an S visa for him. The client had a legitimate claim for asylum, but he failed to file a case because he was relying on the U.S. government’s promise of an S visa. As a result, he missed the one-year filing deadline to submit his asylum application (an asylum applicant must file his case within one year of arrival in the U.S. or meet an exception to the one-year filing requirement; otherwise, he is ineligible for asylum). We litigated the case in court. In the end, the Immigration Judge denied asylum because the client had not filed within one year of arrival. The Judge found that reliance on the government’s promise of an S visa did not qualify as an exception to the one-year bar. Instead he granted my client withholding of removal, a less-desirable form of relief.
In both these cases, the government promised something, my clients relied on the promise, and the government failed to deliver. I understand the government’s need to obtain cooperation from witnesses, even to the extent that government agents lie to witnesses to secure their assistance. However, in the case of the S visa, some cooperating witnesses (like my clients) face real harm–including possible persecution or death in the home country–when the government breaks its promise.
So what can be done?
It seems to me that any alien who relies on the goodwill of the government in an S visa case is being taken for a fool. The offer of an S visa is not enough–cooperating witnesses need an attorney to press the government to keep its word. And this is not something that can be done after the criminal investigation is complete. Once the government gets what it wants (i.e., cooperation), there is nothing to prevent it from reneging on its promise.
Aliens with potential asylum claims are particularly vulnerable. For them, I would want a letter from the ICE Office of the Chief Counsel agreeing that the S-visa process constitutes “exceptional circumstances” excusing the one-year asylum bar. That way, in the (likely) event that the S visa does not come through, at least the alien will not be barred from seeking asylum because she missed a deadline.
In short, if law enforcement officers promise you an S visa, you should understand that in many cases, they will not follow through with their promise. But if you take steps to compel the government to issue the S visa, and you have a back-up plan in the event that the S visa does not come through, you will maximize the chance that your cooperation will lead somewhere other than a dead end.