Safe Horizon and ASISTA File FOIA Request Seeking Immigration Policy Data Related to U-Visa Adjudications

(New York, February 25, 2020) – Safe Horizon and ASISTA have filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for immigration policy data on the adjudication of U-visa petitions and adjustment of status (permanent residence) applications for those granted U visa status.   U visas were created…

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ALERT: ASISTA submits Amicus on Erosion of Continuances and Admin Closure for Survivors of Violence

Yesterday, ASISTA, along with our partners, submitted an amicus brief challenging EOIR’s erosion of docketing tools like continuances and administrative closures. This errosion results in limiting access to critical immigration relief for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and other serious crimes.  ASISTA was joined in this brief by American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence (API-GBV), National Immigrant Justice…

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ASISTA Practice Advisory: The Impact of Matter of N-L-Y-, 27 I&N Dec. 755 (BIA 2020)

ASISTA has developed this Practice Advisory: The Impact of Matter of L-N-Y-, 27 I&N 755 (BIA 2020), which provides a detailed overview of provisions in this precedential decision, discusses its intersection with other BIA decisions on continuances, and provides best practices for requesting continuances for U visa applicants in removal proceedings. We’ve also summarized our key…

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Amicus Brief VAWA Joint Residence (December 27, 2019)

This amicus brief, submitted to the Southern District of Florida, addresses USCIS’s requirement that self-petitioners show shared residence with their abuser during the marriage. With deep gratitude to Prof. Rebecca Sharpless and law students Meredith Hoffman and Olivia Parise from the University of Miami School of Law’s Immigration Clinic for their hard work on this…

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ASISTA Practice Pointer: Assessing whether to file a U Visa Petition for Victims at Risk of Removal (November 2019)

This practice advisory provides practitioners a road map for assessing a U Visa petitioner’s potential risk of removal. Click here to download this document in Word version.  Copyright @2019 by ASISTA Immigration Assistance. All rights reserved. This product or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used without express written permission from ASISTA Immigration…

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Amicus Brief on Direct Victim Definition (April 23, 2018)  

Here is the amicus brief we filed to the AAO with Her Justice and ICWC, Debevoise & Plympton doing the heavy lifting (and excellent crafting) for us. Thanks to all involved, great job! Click here to download the amicus brief in word version. We suggest you use this framework when making your “not-obvious” victim arguments.…

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