The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office is committed to assisting all victims of crime understand their rights and get assistance navigating the legal system regardless of their immigration status or proficiency in English.
Undocumented residents who may fear cooperation with law enforcement due to their immigration status are particularly vulnerable to exploitation. We provide educational outreach to immigrant communities to assist individuals avoid falling victim to theft, fraud and other acts targeted toward those seeking residency, citizenship or legal status.
The Office does year-round community outreach through education and advocacy on criminal schemes that target immigrants related to legal services, employment, wages and housing. Victims and witnesses are encouraged to report crimes without fear of immigration consequences.
Immigrant Bill of Rights
The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office is committed to ensuring the protections of due process and equal protection embodied in our Constitution apply to every person, regardless of immigration status.
The Office will ensure all community members, including non-citizens — regardless of their immigration status — are treated fairly and equally, and that, when possible, no one is unjustly impacted by the criminal legal system.
• The Office will investigate and prosecute individuals or businesses that target and exploit immigrants through fraud, wage theft, or otherwise.
• The Office encourages both documented and undocumented immigrant victims and witnesses to cooperate with law enforcement.
• The Office will not let the immigration status of cooperating witnesses/victims prevent their participation in the criminal justice process.
• The Office, when asked and where appropriate, will provide cooperating witnesses/victims with assistance in obtaining U-Visas.
• The Office will work with defense attorneys, when asked and where appropriate, to find immigration-neutral outcomes for noncitizen defendants, including offering programs that expand alternatives to convictions and incarceration.
• The Office will work with defense attorneys, when possible, to erase the unintended immigration consequences of old convictions.
U-Visa Information
The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office aids in the U-Visa process by reviewing certification requests for individuals who have been victims of certain crimes in Westchester County. To qualify for certification, the victim must be fully cooperative in the prosecution of a case handled by the Office, and must be a victim of a qualifying criminal activity as defined by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
To request certification, please forward a letter, along with an executed G-28, Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative, to:
Office of the Westchester County District Attorney
Attn: U-Visa Coordinator
111 Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, 5th floor
White Plains, NY 10601
