Posts by Ahlam Moussa
ASISTA Announces Successful Resolution of Albence Litigation
ASISTA is proud to report that our litigation against ICE has come to a successful resolution. The case was brought by Protect Democracy and the Constitutional Accountability Center on behalf of ASISTA and Sanctuary for Families. The litigation challenged the unlawful policy, established by then-acting director of ICE Matthew Albence, that made it easier to deport…
Read MoreICYMI – Important Policy & Practice Updates, June 2021
June 2021 ICYMI As usual, there have been several policy and practice updates over the last few weeks, from new ICE guidance, Supreme Court decisions, a flurry of new updates from USCIS, some important consular processing information from NVC and a consolidated guide on CDC COVID travel restriction exemptions from CBP. Read more about these…
Read MoreASISTA Denounces Racism, Misogyny, and Violence
In the wake of the killing of eight people in Georgia earlier this week, we at ASISTA are heartbroken and determined as ever to fight the toxic combination of white supremacy and misogyny that fuels this violence. Eight lives were tragically and violently taken, of whom seven were women and six were of Asian descent.…
Read MoreSafe Horizon and ASISTA File Lawsuit Against USCIS and DHS
Safe Horizon and ASISTA File Lawsuit Against USCIS and DHS, Seeking Information on Policy Change Making it More Difficult for Victims of Serious Crime to Obtain Relief Under the U-Visa Program
Read MoreICYMI: Important Policy & ASISTA Updates
As usual, there have been several policy updates over the last few weeks, from the rescission of the immigrant travel ban impacting family, employment and diversity visas to the Supreme Court’s decision to take up the public charge rule. Here are some other important policy updates and news from ASISTA. U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 & Its Impact on…
Read MorePhiladelphia Inquirer Article on the U Visa Backlog
ASISTA’s own Amy Cheung weighing in on the heavy backlog with the U Visa program which Congress created to strengthen the ability of police agencies to investigate and prosecute violent crimes like domestic & sexual assault. “Biden’s plan to raise the cap to 30,000 is a promising start but given the immense backlog, there is still more…
Read MoreICYMI: Important Policy & ASISTA Updates
As usual, there have been many immigration policy updates this past week. Please see below for a brief summary of a few of those updates, as well as some upcoming ASISTA events. Flexibility in Deadline Extension Challenges to Enforcement Executive Order New Circuit Decisions ASISTA joins Important Amicus Efforts New ASISTA Training! Flexibility in Deadline Extension Last…
Read MoreICYMI (In Case You Missed It): Sharing Important Policy Updates
A lot has happened in the past week! We’ve compiled a short list of important updates to help you keep track. Expansion of Filing Flexibility Important Update on Blank Space Policy Litigation Policy Manual Changes EOIR Comment Opportunities-deadlines December 28th Issuance of Final Regulations on Asylum, Admin Closure, and more 1. Expansion of Filing Flexibility: On December 18, USCIS…
Read MoreImmigration Attorney & ASISTA Board Member Leta Sanchez: The importance of the work we do together.
(Please know the video does discuss an episode of violence.)
Read MoreLook what you helped us do!
Look what you helped us do!
Read MoreLegal Remedies for Immigrant Survivors: Introductory Seminar Series – Dec 2 & 3, 2020
Post-Election Greetings from our New Executive Director
Greetings from ASISTA’s new Executive Director Kirsten Rambo!
Read MoreASISTA Announces New Executive Director
The Board of Directors of ASISTA Immigration Assistance is thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Kirsten Rambo as Executive Director, effective October 5, 2020. See statement here!
Read MoreASISTA statement on Medical Abuse and Neglect in Immigration Detention
ASISTA, like you, is horrified at the allegations of medical abuse and neglect inflicted on women in immigration custody. As we support our partners in ensuring that these atrocities are investigated immediately, we are grateful for the relentless work of these organizations on the ground: Project South, Georgia Detention Watch, Georgia Latino Alliance for Human…
Read MoreEl Diario de El Paso Article on the sexual assault of immigrant victims and harassment by guards at an ICE detention facility in El Paso.
We stand with ASISTA member organization, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, as they advocate for immigrant victims of sexual assault and harassment by guards at an ICE detention facility in El Paso. Laura Flores Bachman, Senior Legal Counsel with ASISTA, was quoted in this article about these heinous acts, “We believe sexual assaults in ICE facilities…
Read MoreNewsy Article on how USCIS is Rejecting Applications with Blank Spaces
ASISTA Policy Director Cecelia Friedman Levin weighing in, “We’re calling for a way that when these sorts of policy changes occur, that people are informed [and that] any changes in these processes don’t impact due process”. See article here.
Read MoreWaPo Article on USCIS’ Harmful Policy of Rejecting Applications for Blank Fields
ASISTA Policy Director Cecelia Friedman Levin weighs in on this harmful processing policy and how USCIS is egregiously limiting immigration relief for vulnerable applicants through needless red tape. See article here
Read MoreNew Report by ASISTA and ILRC – In Harm’s Way: The Impact of President Trump’s Actions on Immigrant Survivors of Gender Based Violence
Check out this report from ASISTA and Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) examining Trump’s harmful immigration policies and the impacts they are having on survivors of gender-based violence.
Read MoreASISTA Press Release: ASISTA Files FOIA Lawsuit Demanding Information about USCIS’s Use of Discretion in Green Card Applications for Crime Victims
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 19 2020 Contact: Ahlam Moussa On Thursday, April 30, ASISTA and the Immigration Center for Women and Children (ICWC) filed a lawsuit in the Northern District of California demanding that USCIS and DHS disclose information requested related to their exercise of discretion in adjudicating adjustment of status (green card) applications by crime victims…
Read MoreOne Training, 2 locations – From RFE to Federal Court: Latest Strategies in Defending Survivors – May 14, 2020 in Detroit, MI and June 16, 2020 in San Diego, CA
May 14th, 2020 in Detroit, MI (before the FBA conference) REGISTER NOW for Detroit! & June 16th, 2020 in San Diego, CA (before the AILA conference) REGISTER NOW for San Diego! __________________________________________________________________________ Join ASISTA for a one-day training where we will discuss administrative, judicial, and collaborative strategies for protecting immigrant survivors of violence in light of the current…
Read More