Archive for March 2020

ASISTA calls on USCIS to Ensure Survivors have Continued Access to Immigration Benefits.

By Maria Lazzarino • March 24, 2020
On behalf of ASISTA organizational and individual members nationwide, ASISTA expressed our concerns regarding the impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on USCIS’ survivor-based benefits operations. ASISTA called on USCIS to adopt measures that address the additional limitations faced by immigrant survivors’ of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and other serious crimes.

Current Job Opportunity: Executive Director

By Maria Lazzarino • March 16, 2020
ASISTA ( https://asistahelp.org ) is looking for a new Executive Director followingthe retirement of its co-founderand Executive Director, Gail Pendleton, in the fall of 2020. ASISTA’s mission is to advance the dignity,rights, and liberty of immigrant survivors of domestic and sexual violence. TheExecutive Director will report to ASISTA’s 7-member Board of Directors. ASISTA has an annualbudget of approximately $650,000 and a talented staff of six, including fourattorneys. Candidates do not need to be attorneys.

One Training, 2 locations – From RFE to Federal Court: Latest Strategies in Defending Survivors – May 14, 2020 in Detroit, MI and June 16, 2020 in San Diego, CA

By Ahlam Moussa • March 6, 2020
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ASISTA Practice Pointer: What If You Do Not Received an RFE or Denial Notice? (March 2020)

By Maria Lazzarino • March 5, 2020
In this practice pointer , ASISTA addresses what to do if your case was denied as abandoned because you did not respond to an RFE that was never received. In the Appendix, we include a sample keystroke FOIA request and redacted keystroke FOIA response. Click here to download the document in Word version.

Recent Posts

ASISTA Practice Pointer: Hot Tips for Contacting USCIS About Pending Survivor-Based Cases (Updated March 24, 2026)

By Maria Lazzarino • April 28, 2026
This Practice Pointer synthesizes current recommendations for using USCIS customer service options for survivor-based relief applications. It also discusses how to supplement pending survivor-based petitions via mail, with the hotlines as a backup paper trail. As noted throughout, the information is accurate up to the publication date, but should always be cross-checked with information on USCIS’s website and Policy Manual for the most up-to-date government provisos. This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-23-GK-05161-MUMU awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

ASISTA POLICY ALERT: Policy Manual Updates to 8 USC § 1367 Confidentiality Protections (Feb. 3, 2026)

By Maria Lazzarino • April 28, 2026
On 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 will provide further guidance through training and written resources as warranted, and members are encouraged to request technical assistance for any individual case questions.

Hotline Contact for U Receipt Notices Starting with IOE (April 2026)

By Maria Lazzarino • April 24, 2026
ASISTA is aware that the USCIS “Contact Us” page does not include information about which hotline address should be contacted for U cases with receipt numbers that start with IOE. After reaching out to USCIS, until the Contact Us page is updated to reflect their “final determination,” practitioners inquiring about U cases with receipt numbers starting with IOE should reach out to the VSC 918/914 hotline. See this Practice Alert for more information.

ASISTA Practice Alert: USCIS Extreme Vetting Policies and Their Implication for Immigrant Survivors (Dec. 12, 2025)

By Maria Lazzarino • December 12, 2025
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.

ASISTA Practice Alert: Impact of HR-1 on Trafficking Survivors (Oct. 1, 2025)

By Maria Lazzarino • December 12, 2025
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.