Archive for September 2020

New Practice Advisory: Requesting Congressional Liaison Assistance

By Admin • September 30, 2020
When case issues arise with DHS and your inquiries go unanswered, Congressional liaisons may be able to help. This advisory contains helpful tips for making effective Congressional liaison assistance requests.

ASISTA Announces New Executive Director

By Ahlam Moussa • September 17, 2020
The Board of Directors of ASISTA Immigration Assistance is thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Kirsten Rambo as Executive Director, effective October 5, 2020. See statement here!

ASISTA statement on Medical Abuse and Neglect in Immigration Detention

By Ahlam Moussa • September 17, 2020
ASISTA, like you, is horrified at the allegations of medical abuse and neglect inflicted on women in immigration custody. As we support our partners in ensuring that these atrocities are investigated immediately, we are grateful for the relentless work of these organizations on the ground: Project South , Georgia Detention Watch , Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights , and South Georgia Immigrant Support Network . We are also grateful for the brave efforts of nurse Dawn Wooten, who brought these horrific abuses to light.

ASISTA Practice Pointer: DHS Freedom of Information Act Requests (August 31, 2020)

By Maria Lazzarino • September 10, 2020
We are happy to share ASISTA’s new practice pointer: DHS Freedom of Information Act Requests . This practice pointer includes a breakdown of each DHS agency’s record keeping, sample FOIA language, and information on administrative appeals of FOIA results. For additional helpful tips, take a look at our recent webinar, FOIA Requests to DHS in Survivor-Based Cases .

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.