Posts by Maria Lazzarino
POLICY ALERT: Policy Manual Updates for VAWA (Feb. 3, 2026)
On December 22, 2025, USCIS updated its Policy Manual on petitions filed under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). This Policy Alert reviews the changes USCIS highlighted and comments on their impact. It then examines the changes ASISTA views as most critical for practitioners to know about and provides initial guidance in response. ASISTA will…
Read MorePOLICY ALERT: Policy Manual Updates to 8 USC § 1367 Confidentiality Protections (Feb. 3, 2026)
On December 22, 2025, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) released an update to its Policy Manual relating to confidentiality protections located at 8 USC § 1367 (“1367 protections”). This Policy Alert will review the changes introduced by the policy update and provide initial guidance to practitioners filing cases affected by them. ASISTA…
Read MoreCurrent Job Opportunity: Executive Director
ASISTA is seeking its next Executive Director as our long-serving leader, Kirsten Rambo, Ph.D., prepares to transition into a new role. This moment offers a rare opportunity for thoughtful leadership, including overlap and intentional onboarding, as ASISTA moves into its next chapter. Accepting applications on a rolling basis . Check here for the full job description and here for additional…
Read MoreASISTA FY2025 Annual Report
Check out our new FY2025 Annual Report to learn about how ASISTA–with your help–changed lives this past year!
Read MoreHGBF Practice Advisory: Factors to Weight when Considering a T visa (Jan. 2026)
Trying to help a trafficking survivor decide whether to file a T visa application? This practice advisory includes factors to consider and discuss with the client.
Read MoreASISTA Statement on Recent USCIS Policy Manual Changes to VAWA Self-Petitions and Confidentiality Protections for Immigrant Survivors (Dec. 28, 2025)
Earlier this week, USCIS announced changes to its Policy Manual for VAWA Self-Petitions and the 1367 confidentiality protections, effective December 22, 2025. These changes render immigrant survivors both less able to access safety and to counter the weaponization of legal systems by abusers and traffickers to exercise power and control over them. Click here to…
Read MoreASISTA Practice Alert: USCIS Extreme Vetting Policies and Their Implication for Immigrant Survivors (Dec. 12, 2025)
This Practice Alert summarizes USCIS’s new extreme vetting policies, including broad adjudication holds, re-review of previously approved cases, and heightened discretionary scrutiny, and explains their serious implications for immigrant survivors seeking safety and stability. It also provides practical guidance for practitioners on preparing clients for the impact of these measures and on developing case strategies and…
Read MoreASISTA Practice Alert: Impact of HR-1 on Trafficking Survivors (Oct. 1, 2025)
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed HR-1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA), which significantly impacts immigrant survivors of human trafficking. The law imposes new filing fees for immigration benefits, motions, and appeals before USCIS and EOIR, establishes additional financial penalties for certain immigration violations, and eliminates eligibility for a range of federal…
Read MoreAmicus Briefs on Birthright Citizenship Executive Order (Spring 2025)
In May and June 2025, ASISTA joined partners at Boston College School of Law, Harbor COV, and Tahirih to submit an amicus briefs to the First and Fourth Circuit Courts of Appeals in cases challenging the executive order on birthright citizenship. ASISTA and partners highlighted the importance of maintaining a preliminary injunction against implementing the…
Read MoreAlien Enemies Act Alert (May 29, 2025)
On March 14, 2025, President Trump attempted to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to justify carrying out deportations without the due process of immigration proceedings. Since then, multiple federal courts have ruled the invocation was unlawful, but the government continues to fight for its usage, including before the U.S. Supreme Court. On May…
Read MoreASISTA Practice Alert: USCIS Wet Ink Signature RFEs & NOIDs (April 24, 2025)
Practitioners have reported receiving RFEs and NOIDs in cases submitted with electronically reproduced signatures for original, wet ink signatures where USCIS has requested the original, wet ink signatures. This Practice Alert describes what USCIS’ current signature policy is and what options practitioners have in these cases.
Read MoreASISTA Practice Alert: VAWA Self-Petitioner Interviews at USCIS Field Offices (Feb. 17, 2025)
This Practice Alert will review the information provided by USCIS about the commencement of these interviews and their response to advocacy. ASISTA urges practitioners to report their experiences with this process in our survey. We also urge practitioners to zealously advocate for their clients who may be experiencing stress and confusion leading up to these…
Read MoreASISTA New Resource: Know Your VAWA Options: Self-Petition Compared with “Special Rule” Cancellation of Removal (Feb. 2025)
Effectively representing a survivor of domestic violence requires understanding ALL immigration options they may be able to pursue. This chart provides an at-a-glance review of the requirements for VAWA Self-Petitions and VAWA Cancellation of Removal. It also highlights situations where one may be better than the other for certain survivors, though some survivors may be…
Read MoreEnforcement Actions in or Near Protected Areas (January 20, 2025)
This memorandum addresses Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enforcement actions in or near areas that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) previously determined require special protection. It is effective immediately. This memorandum supersedes and rescinds Alejandro Mayorkas’s October 27, 2021 memorandum entitled, Guidelines for Enforcement Actions in or Near…
Read MoreLetter to USCIS re VAWA SP Interview (Dec. 3, 2024)
On December 3, ASISTA submitted a letter with recommendations to USCIS regarding the commencement of VAWA Self-Petitioner interviews at local USCIS Field Offices, on behalf of the Alliance for Immigrant Survivors and over 20 national and state/local organizations working with immigrant survivors of domestic violence. ASISTA is grateful to all of the members who collaborated…
Read MoreASISTA, AILA, & ICWC Amicus Brief 2024: Proper Analysis for ‘Qualifying Criminal Activity’
On Monday, Oct. 28, AILA, ASISTA, and ICWC submitted a joint amicus brief to the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida, regarding the proper analysis USCIS should use to assess whether a crime underlying a U visa petition is “qualifying criminal activity.” The complainant in the case had been the victim of…
Read MoreTop Ten Things Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Advocates Should Know About Immigrant Survivors
ASISTA’s Top Ten List for domestic violence & sexual assault advocates aims to inform advocates about key concepts and barriers impacting immigrant survivors of gender-based violence, while providing resources to help overcome them. (Original, Dec. 2023; Re-designed: Sept. 2024) This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-21-GK-02240-MUMU & 15JOVW-23-GK-05161-MUMU awarded by the Office on Violence Against…
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ASISTA Practice Pointer: Age-Out Protections in U Nonimmigrant Status (Aug. 2024)
ASISTA is pleased to release this Practice Pointer on the age-out protections for U Nonimmigrants. The age-out statute provides critical protections to U principals and derivatives, but the protections are limited in scope and often misunderstood. This Practice Pointer clarifies the scope of these age-out protections and provides practice tips for practitioners to avoid age-out for clients…
Read MoreASISTA Notes: USCIS Stakeholder Engagement on the T Visa Final Rule (Aug. 15, 2024)
On August 15, 2024, USCIS held a stakeholder engagement on the T Visa Final Rule, which is in effect as of August 28, 2024. These are our notes from that engagement. USCIS will also post a transcript to their electronic reading room. ASISTA will monitor the implementation of and compliance with these changes. If your clients experience…
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