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Biden Administration Grants Legal Protections For Pending U-Visa Applicants

People take the oath of allegiance to become U.S. citizens during a naturalization ceremony at the Los Angeles Convention Center in 2017.
Jae C. Hong AP
People take the oath of allegiance to become U.S. citizens during a naturalization ceremony at the Los Angeles Convention Center in 2017.

People living in the United States illegally are encouraged to report crimes committed against them, but some fear that doing so may lead to deportation.

While a federal program has been in place allowing undocumented crime victims to apply for a U visa - which will give them legal protections in the U.S. — the program has a backlog of applications and people can wait years.

Last week the Biden administration announced a new policy giving hope to those waiting for their applications to be reviewed.

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It allows qualified applicants to receive work permits and protection from deportation while they wait for their U visas to be processed.

Kate Morrissey is an immigration reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune.

She joined Midday Edition on Tuesday with more on the story.

RELATED: US Gives More Asylum-Seekers Waiting In Mexico Another Shot

A new Biden administration policy grants legal protections for undocumented immigrants to ease deportation concerns when reporting crimes within the U.S.