News & Updates
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 MoreOn 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 MoreASISTA 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 MoreCheck out our new FY2025 Annual Report to learn about how ASISTA–with your help–changed lives this past year!
Read MoreTrying 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 MoreEarlier 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 MoreThis 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 MoreOn 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 MoreIn 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 MoreOn 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 MorePractitioners 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 MoreFor more information on our mission, programs, and finances, here is ASISTA’s most recent year 990. ASISTA’s fiscal year is July 1 to June 30.
Read MoreThis 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 MoreEffectively 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 MoreALERT: Despite misinformation out there, VAWA, U and T visa programs have NOT been cancelled or terminated! These bipartisan protections were created by Congress and the Administration cannot unilaterally take them away. While there is news that ICE has changed its guidance on enforcement actions related to potential or actual beneficiaries of victim-based benefits, we…
Read MoreThis 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 MoreOn 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 MoreOn 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 MoreHere at ASISTA, we share your sadness, outrage, and deep concern about what the future holds. We have also been preparing for this possible outcome. While we process the elections results and continue to strategize, here are some things we know for sure: Alongside you and many across the country, we are continuing to breathe…
Read MoreBy Cristina Velez, Veronica Sainz, and Kirsten Rambo Thirty years ago, the landmark Violence Against Women Act was signed into law, marking a giant leap forward in the struggle to end gender-based violence (GBV). Today, as we celebrate this milestone anniversary, we do so in the midst of an election season unfortunately marked by dangerous…
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