SOUTH BEND — Local police and attorneys are trying to spread the word about U Visa — a program designed to fight crime and help some illegal immigrants become U.S. citizens. Crime victims can cooperate with law enforcement in exchange for citizenship.

Congress actually passed the statute involving U Visa back in 2000, but police departments are just now starting to use it. The government didn't decide how the statute would be regulated until 2007.

U Visa is open to victims of serious crimes — including domestic violence or sexual assault. But a lot of other crimes qualify.

Moises Leanos doesn't need a program like U Visa because he's already a United States citizen.

"If you're a victim of anything, you should report it to police no matter what," he said. "It doesn't matter what your status is."

But for his friends who are here illegally, Leanos says it's not that simple.

"From having bad experiences with police officers, they probably wouldn't even do it," he told WSBT.

Indiana Legal Services attorney Dory Mitros Durham said there is a lot of fear in the immigrant community about people coming forward.

Elkhart Police Detective Sgt. Bill Wargo sees that fear every day.

"They're worried if they speak with us they're going to get deported," Wargo said.

But the underlying goal of the U Visa program is to change the often tense relationships between undocumented people and law enforcement. Under the statute, illegal immigrants who are also victims of serious crimes can apply for citizenship if they cooperate with police in the investigation.

"Folks who have some immigration status may be concerned they're drawing unnecessary attention to themselves, or they don't want to cause problems," explained Indiana Legal Services attorney Mitros Durham.

But police say it's impossible to know about crime if victims don't report it. And in local Latino neighborhoods communication can be especially difficult.

"A lot of times we can go knock on doors as follow-ups for an investigation," said Detective Sgt. Wargo. "[We] know that somebody's there and nobody will even answer the door."

That's one of many reasons why Moises Leanos says the U Visa program may not work.

"I would say it would be like a fifty-fifty thing," he explained. "A lot of people would [come forward] and a lot of people would probably be skeptical."

Even though many undocumented people are scared of deportation, local police don't even have the power to deport someone. They would have to call Immigration Services — something Detective Sgt. Bill Wargo says he's never done.

Plus, officers say they're more worried about fighting crime.

The U Visa grants temporary legal status and work eligibility in the United States for up to 4 years. From there, immigrants can apply for permanent citizenship in the United States.