On October 13, 2020, ASISTA submitted a comment in response to USCIS harmful new proposed rule that would pose significant privacy, confidentiality and safety implications for immigrant survivors of domestic and sexual violence, human trafficking, and other gender-based abuses.
COVID-19 is exacerbating the already tremendous barriers survivors face in accessing safety and secure status. Although we are pushing Congress to change its policies to recognize COVID’s impact on survivors and their ability to file paper, get work authorization extensions, etc., we need your help educating your Members of Congress .
by: Cecelia Friedman Levin, ASISTA Policy Director with Grace Huang, Policy Director, Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-based Violence
ASISTA condemns the Administration’s plans for mass raids, now slated to start this Su nday . These mass immigration enforcement actions create immense fear in communities nationwide. For immigrant survivors of violence, these raids exacerbate the trauma and fear they already endure because of the abuse they have experienced.
Last week, the Administration announced that they would delay the mass raids scheduled for last week. Even though these actions have been briefly delayed, the announcement of these mass immigration enforcement actions created immense fear nationwide. For immigrant survivors of violence, this news exacerbates the trauma and fear they already endure because of the abuse they have experienced. Advocates can help address this fear by providing critical know your rights information and sharing ways to prepare themselves in the event they are confronted by ICE. Below is a list of actions practitioners working with immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking can take now to help survivors who are at risk of an immigration enforcement action.
This week ASISTA Immigration Assistance is privileged to join National Immigrant Justice Center, Human Rights First and over 150 organizations in submitting a comment in response to the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security adoption of an interim final rule barring access to asylum for those who enter the United States outside ports of entry. You can read the comment here .
In November 2018, ASISTA fought back on harmful USCIS changes to fee waiver practices and forms. USCIS is creating barriers to equal access to survivor protections, especially for survivors who have few financial resources of their own. ASISTA created a template comment for advocates to share how these damaging changes affect survivors, and you can read ASISTA’s fee waiver comment here.
This Quick Reference Guide and Risk Assessment Worksheet is designed to accompany the longer Practice Advisory on Factors to Weigh When Considering a T visa. It provides a streamlined overview of key considerations and a practical tool for identifying potential risks, benefits, and client-specific concerns during case consultations.
Survivors hoping to earn U- or T-based adjustment of status must generally spend 3 years in U or T status and must be in valid U or T status when they apply to adjust. If a survivor falls out of status, they may be able to regain status by means of a nunc pro tunc extension of status application. This Practice Advisory describes how to submit a nunc pro tunc I-539 extension of status application and contains an annotated sample filing from a successful case. It warns that nunc pro tunc I-539s may not be filed if removal proceedings have commenced against the survivor.
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 January 23, 2026, the federal Trafficking Survivors’ Relief Act of 2026 (TSRA) became law. The TSRA provides a remedy for trafficking survivors to obtain relief from federal criminal records stemming directly from their exploitation. In enacting the TSRA, Congress acknowledged that trafficking survivors frequently acquire a criminal history as a result of their exploitation, which can be a barrier to employment, housing, education, and essential support services and make them more vulnerable to re-exploitation. This 2-pager describes the TSRA and its potential use by immigrant survivors of trafficking charged with or convicted of federal crimes.