News & Updates
Check out ASISTA Executive Director, Kirsten Rambo and Senior Legal Counsel, Amy Cheung on the Immigrants Path Podcast! The Humanitarians: Enabling Justice for Immigrant Survivors of Violence: https://youtu.be/FYHiDunrW8M
Read MoreOn October 18, 2021, ASISTA submitted a comment to DOS in response to a Request for Public Input identifying barriers that impede access to immigration benefits, fair and efficient adjudications of these benefits, and recommendations on how to remove these barriers. We focused our comment on the challenges immigrant survivors and their derivatives face when consular processing. Thank you to our…
Read MoreOn October 4, 2021, ASISTA hosted a White House Listening Session to share insights and recommendations to the White House as they develop the U.S.’s first National Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence. Click here to access the session recording & here to access the presentation materials.
Read MoreASISTA is proud to report that our litigation against ICE has come to a successful resolution. The case was brought by Protect Democracy and the Constitutional Accountability Center on behalf of ASISTA and Sanctuary for Families. The litigation challenged the unlawful policy, established by then-acting director of ICE Matthew Albence, that made it easier to deport…
Read MoreASISTA does not provide direct legal services. However, we compiled some resources and we hope the information below, with associated links, will be helpful. Staring Monday, September 13, 2021, the Tahirih Justice Center’s Afghan Asylum Project will provide information, referrals, and asylum legal screenings for Afghan citizens who recently arrived in the U.S. through our…
Read MoreAs usual, there have been several important policy and practice updates over the last few weeks. From a new ICE directive on victim-centered approaches, to litigation updates, new calls for examples and stakeholder engagements. Read more about some of these updates in our latest edition of ICYMI here.
Read MoreOn August 10, 2021, ICE issued a new agency directive superseding guidance from 2019 regarding stay of removal requests and removal proceedings involving U visa petitioners (hereinafter “Directive”). The Directive outlines new policies and procedures regarding exercising prosecutorial discretion for victims of crime, including those eligible for victim-based immigration relief (including VAWA self-petitions, U and…
Read MorePosition 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
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