Press Release

By Ahlam Moussa November 6, 2024
Here at ASISTA, we share your sadness, outrage, and deep concern about what the future holds. We have also been preparing for this possible outcome.
By Ahlam Moussa November 1, 2024
By Cristina Velez, Veronica Sainz, and Kirsten Rambo
By Ahlam Moussa August 29, 2024
ASISTA Immigration Assistance is pleased to announce the addition of two new members to its Board of Directors: Ms. Salima Dembri and Ms. Sheelu Verma. Learn more about our newest board members in our press release here .
By Ahlam Moussa June 25, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 25, 2024
By Ahlam Moussa June 5, 2024
ASISTA Denounces President Biden’s Dangerous Border Proclamation
By Ahlam Moussa May 15, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 15, 2024
By Ahlam Moussa October 30, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 30 , 2023
By Ahlam Moussa July 20, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 19, 2023
By Maria Lazzarino May 25, 2023
Click here to access release in PDF format.
By Ahlam Moussa May 15, 2023
ASISTA is pleased to announce that Legal & Policy Director Cristina Velez was awarded the 2023 NGO Lawyer of the Year Award at the Federal Bar Association (FBA) Immigration Law Conference last week in Arlington, VA. Read here for more details!
By Ahlam Moussa April 3, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 3 , 2023
By Ahlam Moussa March 31, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 31, 2023
By Ahlam Moussa March 8, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 8, 2023
By Ahlam Moussa March 1, 2022
New Blueprint Analyzes Year-One Actions and Outlines Critical, Immediate 2022 Measures to Fulfill Administration’s Promises for a Fair and Humane Immigration System.
By Ahlam Moussa March 22, 2021
In 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. We send our love and light to those most directly impacted, the families and friends of the victims. And we stand in solidarity with Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities, understanding that this horrific act is a recent manifestation of a long history of racism and exclusion in the U.S. to which AAPI individuals and communities have been subjected for generations.
By Ahlam Moussa March 18, 2021
Safe 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
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!
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.

Recent Posts

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.