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 potential legal challenges.
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 public benefits for many immigrants who were previously considered “qualified,” including trafficking survivors. This Practice Alert reviews these fee and penalty changes, explains the new restrictions on public benefits, and outlines the impact on trafficking survivors seeking T visas and other forms of humanitarian relief, offering guidance for practitioners on how to mitigate the law’s potential harms.
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 order. If the order were implemented, many immigrant mothers of U.S.-born children would only be able to prove their child’s citizenship by submitting documentation about the child’s father’s immigration status. For survivors of intimate partner violence, just knowing the need for this documentation could make it difficult or impossible to leave the abusive relationship. For survivors of sexual assault or trafficking, contacting the perpetrator for the paperwork could put them and their families in immediate physical danger. Using real-life examples, the brief illustrates the stakes if immigrant parents were forced to choose between maintaining their safety and establishing their children’s rights. It urges the court not let this become reality. Read the First Circuit Brief, Doe v. Trump , here ; read the Fourth Circuit Brief, Casa, Inc., et al. v. Trump , here .
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 16, 2025, the Supreme Court maintained a temporary prohibition on the deportations planned in Texas and sent the issue back to the lower courts. ASISTA celebrates the positive rulings but notes with condemnation that the push against them is ongoing. Check ASISTA’s alert: The Fight to Protect Survivors from the Alien Enemies Act Continue.
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.
For 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.
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 interviews, and to educate USCIS Field Officers on the special considerations owed to VAWA self-petitioners.
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 eligible for both.
ALERT : 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 want to be VERY clear that the VAWA, U and T visa programs have NOT been cancelled or terminated. Please consult with a trusted immigration attorney in your area with any questions. You can find a qualified immigration attorney at the National Immigration Legal Services Directory .
This me morandum 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 Protected Areas.
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 on these recommendations, and the national and state DV coalitions that joined us in solidarity despite the fast turnaround. Click here to access the letter.
Position: Development & Communications Manager (Part-Time, 15 hours/week). Application due date: Accepting applications now; position is open until filled. Click here to learn more!
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 a strong arm robbery during which a felonious assault also occurred, but USCIS denied relief based on very narrow and stringent readings of the law. Drawing on a prior ASISTA brief, the amici argued for a more flexible category-based approach to the qualifying crime analysis and criticized the elements-only approach the agency typically employs. Should the lawsuit succeed, the way USCIS analyzes all U visa crimes could be improved and broadened so that more survivors can obtain the protections they need and deserve. Click here to access the Amicus Brief.
Here at ASISTA, we share your sadness, outrage, and deep concern about what the future holds. We have also been preparing for this possible outcome.
By Cristina Velez, Veronica Sainz, and Kirsten Rambo
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.
On Wed., Sep. 11, the Arizona Capitol Times published an article describing the recent changes to regulations on T visas for human trafficking survivors, for which ASISTA attorney Rebecca Eissenova was interviewed. “Our organization very much applauds USCIS for doing this because it provides durability and predictability for survivors in the face of any kind of changing political winds, which is important to anybody, but especially important for survivors who have had a lot of instability in their lives,” Eissenova said. Read the full article here
On August 26th, ASISTA Staff Attorney Lia Ocasio spoke with Voz De America about the controversy on the New Parole in Place Program which is meant to provide Immigration Relief for US spouses. Click here to view.
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 both inside and outside the United States.