Posts by Admin
USCIS must do more to protect immigrant survivors
On April 7, 2020, ASISTA supplemented its initial letter to USCIS regarding its recommendations in light of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic. Immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and other serious crimes already face myriad barriers accessing services and assistance, and these barriers have been exacerbated during this unprecedented emergency.…
Read MoreUpdated Advisory: Blank Spaces on Form I-918, Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status
ASISTA has updated its practice advisory regarding U visa application rejections due to blank spaces on the Form I-918 and I-918A. This updated advisory has filing practice pointers, as well as suggestions for re-filing rejected forms. As this is an emerging issue, please keep ASISTA informed of any new trends not addressed in this advisory.…
Read MoreUSCIS’ New Policy on Application Forms Harms Survivors
On February 6, 2020, ASISTA sent a letter to USCIS and to the CIS Ombudsman’s office regarding the December 30, 2019 announcement that USCIS may reject Form I-918 U visa forms if there is a blank field. This significant shift in policy and practice creates enormous hardship for survivors and their families, and strains valuable…
Read MoreAdvocacy Update: New Survivor-Focused Amicus Brief Submitted in Fee Waiver Litigation
This week, ASISTA, along with our partners, submitted an amicus brief in the case Northwest Immigrant Rights Project v. U.S.Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. This brief challenges USCIS’s sweeping changes to fee waiver policies which limit access to critical immigration relief for immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human…
Read MoreASISTA Opposes Harmful Asylum Bars
On January 21, 2020, ASISTA submitted comments in response to a proposed rule issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Homeland Security establishing several new bars to asylum, including creating barriers for immigrant survivors of gender-based violence. Read ASISTA’s comment here.
Read MorePractice Update: USCIS Form Alert: Blank Spaces on Form I-918, Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status
On December 30, 2019, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) placed an alert on their website for Form I-918, Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status, stating: Alert: We may reject your Form I-918 or your Form I-918 Supplement A if you leave a field blank, unless the field is optional. Optional fields include the safe mailing address as well…
Read MoreASISTA Comment on USCIS’ Harmful Proposed Rule on Fees
On December 30, 2019, ASISTA submitted its organizational comment in response to USCIS’ new proposed rule which increases immigration fees, further limits the criteria and availability of fee waivers, and includes a transfer of millions of dollars from USCIS to ICE. You can read ASISTA’s comprehensive comment here.
Read More2019 in Review
As 2019 comes to close, we’ve taken a look back at the work we’ve done this year, and all we can do with your support in 2020. Learn more about our work this year here.
Read MoreFee Waivers: Updates in Practice and Advocacy
December 13, 2019: Over the last week, there have been several policy updates that impact fee waiver practice and advocacy. ASISTA has compiled a brief summary to provide additional background information, practice tips, and advocacy tools for agencies.
Read MoreFighting Back USCIS Harmful New Proposed Fee Rule
ASISTA stridently opposes the proposed fee rule published in the Federal Register yesterday as it further advances the Administration’s callous agenda to create significant barriers to equal access to immigration relief. The new proposed rule makes sweeping changes, including but not limited to: I. Fee Increases An increase in fees for N-400 naturalization application, from $640 to…
Read MoreLitigation Update: Challenges to Fee Waiver Form Changes
In the beginning of November, two lawsuits were filed challenging the harmful revisions to USCIS fee waiver forms. USCIS’ new revisions limit the criteria for fee waivers and increase burdens on low-income applicants applying for immigration relief. Public Citizen on behalf of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Network field a suit in the U.S. District Court for…
Read MoreICE Letter to Congress Confirms 2011 Guidance on Victims still Effective
In September 2019, ICE responded to a letter sent by Representative Julián Castro (TX-20) and several other members of Congress about the guidance changes regarding stay of removal processes for U visa applicants. In the letter it mentions several points: ICE may join a motion to terminate for U visa applicants in removal proceedings and…
Read MoreComment Today: Voice Your Opposition to the proposed USCIS Tip Form
On August 8, 2019 the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) posted a second opportunity for notice and comment on the new USCIS Tip Form to collect information from the public regarding purported immigration fraud. At ASISTA, we are concerned about the USCIS Tip Form as it represents another tool for abusers and perpetrators of…
Read MoreThe Hill: ICE rule change on U visas sparks outrage
“The Trump administration has quietly altered its handling of visas granted to immigrants who cooperate with criminal investigations, allowing people to be deported even while they are waiting for their visas.” ASISTA’s Cecelia Friedman Levin describes the impact of these changes and how they will diminish access to critical protection to immigrant survivors. Read more…
Read MoreBuzzfeed News: An Asylum-Seeking Mom Who Applied For A Special Visa For Victims Of Violence Is About To Be Deported Anyway
Survivors of domestic violence must have access to critical immigration protections without fearing they may be deported before their cases are decided. ASISTA’s Cecelia Friedman Levin weighs in on a new ICE policy that creates barriers for immigrant survivors of violence. Read more here.
Read MoreNew Advocacy Tool: Tell Congress to Stand with Immigrant Survivors
ASISTA with support from the Alliance for Immigrant Survivors (AIS) has released an advocacy toolkit to help those who work with survivors engage in advocacy efforts with their member of Congress. The toolkit contains sample social media messaging as well as tips to engage your Members of Congress while they are in District. We will…
Read MorePolicy Update: Changes in ICE Guidance Will Impede Access to Protections for Immigrant Survivors of Violence
Late last Friday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released a new fact sheet outlining when they will grant “stays” of deportation to crime victims who have cooperated with law enforcement investigations applying for a U visa. This new guidance will create enormous barriers for survivors of violence; it eliminates critical procedural safeguards and will lead…
Read MorePolicy Update: DHS Publishes Harmful New U Visa Law Enforcement Resource Guide
It is beyond overwhelming to track the myriad ways, large and small, in which DHS’ policy is eroding access to critical immigration protections, including those designed to protect immigrant crime survivors. Sometimes these policy changes don’t grab headlines, but they all contribute to DHS’ calculated and callous plan to weaken existing paths to immigration benefits.…
Read MorePress Statement: ASISTA Response to DHS’ New Expanded Expedited Removal Policy
For Immediate Release: July 25, 2019 – Expansion of Expedited Removal Erodes Due Process and Creates Increased Barriers for Vulnerable Survivors ASISTA denounces the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) plan to expand its ability to fast-track deportation procedures that would leave thousands, including immigrant survivors of crime, vulnerable to deportation without critical due process protections.
Read MorePractice Advisory: Tips for Representing U Visa Respondents
ASISTA and the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) recently published a new in-depth practice advisory that contains updates in policy and survivor-based advocacy strategies for U visa applicants at different stages of removal proceedings. This includes strategies for helping U visa applicants with final or prior orders of removal, those currently in removal proceedings, and…
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