News & Updates
Position Description: Legal & Policy Director (Full-Time)
Read MoreThe stay in ASISTA v. Johnson (formerly known as ASISTA v. Albence) has been extended through July 2, 2021 while the parties continue discussions regarding an additional 90 day stay. Our practice advisory has been updated accordingly.
Read MoreJune 2021 ICYMI As usual, there have been several policy and practice updates over the last few weeks, from new ICE guidance, Supreme Court decisions, a flurry of new updates from USCIS, some important consular processing information from NVC and a consolidated guide on CDC COVID travel restriction exemptions from CBP. Read more about these…
Read MoreThe Ninth Circuit’s decision in Medina Tovar became final on May 2, 2021. The Court held that after-acquired spouses of U visa petitioners are eligible to “accompany or follow to join” the U-1 petitioner through the I-918A petitioning process. ASISTA, CLINIC & ILRC’s new Practice Alert includes the latest information on how and when to file…
Read MoreLast month, the Alliance for Immigrant Survivors (AIS) sent a letter signed by 105 organizations to Senate leadership to strengthen protections for immigrant survivors in the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) 2021. For over 25 years, VAWA has served as a rare example of how a bipartisan Congress can protect survivors and strengthen their ability…
Read MoreASISTA Senior Policy Counsel Amy Cheung in Ms. More Than A Magazine, A Movement, weighting in the article “Abuse exists across many industries and institutions, and low-income people of color are particularly vulnerable. This is especially true in the context of immigration”. Read here the full article.
Read MoreCruel immigration policies were a hallmark of the Trump presidency. From the “Muslim ban” in his earliest days in office to family separation, the Trump administration made over 1,000 immigration policy changes, creating a largely hostile and unwelcoming reception for refugees and asylum seekers fleeing danger and economic hardship and instilling fear in immigrants residing…
Read MoreOn 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 MoreIn 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 MoreASISTA 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 MoreIn 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 MoreSafe Horizon and ASISTA File Lawsuit Against USCIS and DHS, Seeking Information on Policy Change Making it More Difficult for Victims of Serious Crime to Obtain Relief Under the U-Visa Program
Read MoreOn 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 MoreU.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 MoreAs usual, there have been several policy updates over the last few weeks, from the rescission of the immigrant travel ban impacting family, employment and diversity visas to the Supreme Court’s decision to take up the public charge rule. Here are some other important policy updates and news from ASISTA. U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 & Its Impact on…
Read MoreASISTA’s own Amy Cheung weighing in on the heavy backlog with the U Visa program which Congress created to strengthen the ability of police agencies to investigate and prosecute violent crimes like domestic & sexual assault. “Biden’s plan to raise the cap to 30,000 is a promising start but given the immense backlog, there is still more…
Read MoreIn December, the 9th Circuit held in Medina Tovar v. Zuchowski that certain after-acquired spouses of U visa petitioners are eligible to “accompany or follow to join” the U-1 through the I-918A petitioning process. The Court recently issued its mandate on 1/25/2021. The judgment in Medina Tovar is therefore in effect as of 1/25/2021. We’ve prepared this Practice Alert to help you…
Read MoreAs usual, there have been many immigration policy updates this past week. Please see below for a brief summary of a few of those updates, as well as some upcoming ASISTA events. Flexibility in Deadline Extension Challenges to Enforcement Executive Order New Circuit Decisions ASISTA joins Important Amicus Efforts New ASISTA Training! Flexibility in Deadline Extension Last…
Read MoreThe 1st Circuit found that the BIA had abused its discretion in failing to follow Matter of Sanchez-Sosa in adjudicating the U visa petitioner’s Motion to Reopen and ordered remand. Click on the links to access the Amicus Brief and the Decision.
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