Uncategorized
ASISTA and collaborators AILA, ICWC, CAST, and ILRC delivered a letter to USCIS Re: Biometrics for U and T Visa Applicants Abroad (Feb. 2023)
On February 14, 2023 ASISTA and collaborators AILA, ICWC, CAST, and ILRC delivered a letter to USCIS raising concerns about the unavailability of biometrics appointments for U and T visa petitioners and their derivatives abroad, and the negative consequences resulting from their inability to complete application requirements, including prolonged family separation and even unfair denials…
Read MoreBrand-New: ASISTA & Ujima Release Practice Advisory on Anti-Blackness & Immigrant GBV Survivors (Feb. 2023)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 9, 2023 Contacts: Kirsten Rambo, kirsten@asistahelp.org Cristina Velez, cristina@asistahelp.org ASISTA Releases Practice Advisory on Anti-Blackness and Immigrant Survivors of Gender-Based Violence in Collaboration with Ujima, Inc. The racism that pervades the US immigration system creates particular hardships for Black survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). ASISTA and Ujima, Inc. (the National Center…
Read MoreASISTA Releases Practice Advisory on Representing Criminalized Immigrant Survivors (Jan. 2023)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 18, 2023 Contacts: Kirsten Rambo, kirsten@asistahelp.org Cristina Velez, cristina@asistahelp.org ASISTA Releases Practice Advisory on Representing Criminalized Immigrant Survivors ASISTA has released a practice advisory for immigration practitioners that provides an introduction to the impacts of criminal-legal system contacts on eligibility for survivor-based immigration relief. Immigrant survivors may be criminalized for many reasons,…
Read MoreASISTA releases Practice Alert on Abortion Rights for Immigrant Survivors: The Impact of Dobbs on Representation of Immigrant Survivors Seeking Reproductive Healthcare (Jan. 2023)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 12, 2023 Contacts: Kirsten Rambo, kirsten@asistahelp.org Cristina Velez, cristina@asistahelp.org ASISTA has released a practice alert for immigration and gender-based violence advocates and attorneys, regarding the impact of abortion restrictions on immigration status after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Given the increase in abortion restrictions and threats of criminalization that have followed the U.S.…
Read MoreLook what we did together!
Take a look at what we did this last year with your support of ASISTA and immigrant survivors of violence!
Read MoreASISTA Job Opportunity
Position Description: Senior Staff Attorney
Read MoreASISTA at the White House Commemorating VAWA Reauthorization
On March 16, 2022, ASISTA was at the White House for the commemoration of the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Click here for more on this, including the latest version of of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2022.
Read MoreASISTA Welcomes New Board Member
ASISTA Immigration Assistance is thrilled to welcome new board member Jennifer de Haro to the team. To learn more about Jennifer, click here!
Read MoreNotes from Listening Session with USCIS
On April 6, 2021, ASISTA hosted a listening session with USCIS representatives regarding recent trends and issues with fee waiver adjudications related to survivor-based protections including VAWA self-petitions, U and T visa relief. The notes from that listening session can be found below. If you continue to face additional problems with fee waiver adjudications, please…
Read MoreUpdate: FOIA Production on Fee Waiver Policy & Practice
In January 2019, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request on behalf of Grassroots Leadership requesting information on fee waiver adjudication policies and procedures for VAWA self-petitions, T visa and U visa Humanitarian programs. Due to a lack of response, Grassroots Leadership, represented by TRLA, was a plaintiff in…
Read MoreLitigation update in ASISTA v. Albence
ASISTA and Sanctuary for Families are excited to share that on March 18, 2021, Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer granted our joint motion to stay the proceedings in our ongoing lawsuit against ICE for 90 days subject to specific interim conditions. ASISTA and Sanctuary for Families are represented by Protect Democracy and the Constitutional Accountability Center…
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 MoreLitigation Update: Harmful DOJ Rule Enjoined
On March 10, 2021, Senior District Judge Susan Illston from the U.S. District Court of Northern District of California granted a preliminary injunction in the case Centro Legal de La Raza et al v. EOIR et al, challenging the harmful DOJ rule severely limiting sua sponte motions in immigration court proceedings and curtailing the use…
Read MoreNew Advisory: Overview of U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 & Its Impact on Immigrant Survivors
U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 & Its Impact on Survivors: On Thursday, February 18, 2021 theU.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 was introduced in the House by Representative Linda Sánchez and in the Senate by Senator Bob Menendez. ASISTA and our partners with the Alliance for Immigrant Survivors have prepared an overview of the bill with a discussion…
Read MoreImportant Policy & Practice Updates
There have been many policy and practice updates over the last few weeks. We’ve compiled a short list of a few important updates to help you keep track. Upcoming Closures USCIS temporarily suspends in-person services. USCIS announced Friday afternoon that it will temporarily suspend in-person services next Tuesday and Wednesday. USCIS issued the following notice: “U.S. Citizenship…
Read MoreASISTA opposes harmful proposed DOJ rules
On December 28, 2020, ASISTA submitted two comments in response to two proposed Department of Justice, Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR rules) which would limit access to relief for immigrants with matters in Immigration Court, including survivors. Defining “Good cause” for continuances: This new proposed rule severely limits motions to continue, which given the…
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 MorePolicy Update: Two New Final Rules Weaken Access to Immigration Relief
Today, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a new rule that makes sweeping and devastating changes to asylum. This rule would deny the vast majority of asylum-seekers – including survivors of gender-based violence – the chance to make their case for protection, let alone to have a fair day…
Read MoreNew Practice Advisory: Insight into USCIS’s Application of the “No-Blanks” Policy to U-Visa Petitions
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), ASISTA and the Domestic Violence Project (DVP) of the Urban Justice Center have published a new practice advisory based on new USCIS documentation obtained by FOIA litigation brought by Cleary Gottlieb on behalf of DVP. This advisory contains a summary of the records USCIS released through the FOIA litigation , as…
Read More