Final answer:
ICE has the authority to grant Continued Presence (CP) to victims of human trafficking to stay in the U.S. temporarily during an investigation or prosecution, as established by the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency does have the authority to grant something known as Continued Presence (CP). CP is a temporary immigration status provided to individuals identified by law enforcement as victims of human trafficking. This status allows victims to remain in the United States temporarily during an investigation or prosecution of the human trafficking crime(s) they have information about. CP is valuable because it not only allows victims to stay in the country, but also enables them to receive certain benefits and services that help in recovery and may assist law enforcement with their investigation or prosecution. The authority to grant this status comes from the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (VTVPA) of 2000. In practice, law enforcement agencies that identify a victim of trafficking submit a request to ICE to grant CP to that individual.