September 26, 2025

And Join Us for Training & Community Building

View this email in your browser Vermont Asylum Assistance Project is a legal services and technical assistance organization that exists to mentor no-cost and low-cost immigration lawyers and legal workers; educate and serve immigrants and community members; maximize impact across sectors; and advocate to protect immigrants’ rights. Join us: www.vaapvt.org. FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Curious how VAAP is doing and where we’re headed? Start with our recent Vermont Conversation interview with David Goodman. The short answer is: we’re showing up and we're making change. This month, we’ve launched a new cohort of undergraduate service learners with UVM’s Department of Social Work while litigating asylum merits hearings and detention TROs, bond, and bail—all while welcoming new teammates and gearing up to recruit more in partnership with community groups. We’re thrilled to share two back-to-back victories: Nafiou Lamidi, a West African asylum seeker, is finally free after a groundbreaking TRO/habeas win in the District of New Hampshire in partnership with ACLU NH—one of the first bond grants post Matter of Yajure Hurtado and a decisive check on ICE’s overreach.  Mohammed Rashid (featured below), a Palestinian asylee detained even after winning asylum 14 months ago, secured a federal injunction blocking ICE from moving him again while the District of Vermont weighs a bail hearing.  These wins advance Vermont's homegrown strategy of pairing emergent federal habeas with administrative immigration litigation—first pioneered by ACLU VT and partners for Mohsen Mahdawi and Ruymesa Ozturk and championed locally by VAAP, CJRC, AALV, and Montroll Oettinger and Barquist. We’re learning how to develop this impact-litigation model into direct services—all thanks to you. Legal and lay advocates interested in VAAP volunteering have noticed that we paused new systems for limited-scope pro bono services while onboarding staff, pro bono mentors, and full-time volunteers. By October 6 we’ll have four new staff, including a dedicated Operations Director, so streamlined volunteer workflows lay just ahead. Thanks for hanging in there!  Meanwhile, join VAAP and the ACLU VT for a Hispanic/Latine Heritage Month conversation with recently dismissed New York Immigration Court Judge Carmen Maria Rey Caldas—a trailblazing jurist and my very own mentor—on bringing our whole selves to the work of immigration justice. We're offering 1.25 MLCE! Register on Eventbrite to receive the Zoom link and help raise funds for VAAP (registration ranges from free to sliding-scale donations). Speaking of CLE, hope to see some of you at the VBA Meeting today where I'll participate in an Immigration Roundtable with Vermont's estmeed immigration section! Below, you’ll find full event listings, referral protocols, job openings, updated contact info, and more. Thank you for standing with us. If we stick together, we’ve got this. With gratitude and care, Jill Martin Diaz, Esq. Executive Director Donate to VAAP Want to read this newsletter in Spanish, French, Haitian Creole, Dari, or Portuguese? Visit www.vaapvt.org/newsletters and select your language in the top right corner. ¿Desea leer este boletín en español, francés, criollo haitiano, dari o portugués? Visite www.vaapvt.org/newsletters y seleccione su idioma en la esquina superior derecha. Quer ler este boletim em espanhol, francês, crioulo haitiano, dari ou português? Visite www.vaapvt.org/newsletters e selecione seu idioma no canto superior direito. Voulez-vous lire ce bulletin en espagnol, français, créole haïtien, dari ou portugais? Visitez www.vaapvt.org/newsletters et choisissez votre langue en haut à droite. Vle li bilten sa a an panyòl, fransè, kreyòl ayisyen, dari oswa pòtigè? Ale sou www.vaapvt.org/newsletters epi chwazi lang ou anlè adwat. آیا می‌خواهید این خبرنامه را به اسپانیایی، فرانسوی، کریول هایتی، دری یا پرتغالی بخوانید؟ به www.vaapvt.org/newsletters بروید و زبان خود را در گوشهٔ بالا سمت راست انتخاب کنید. DETENTION DEFENSE NEWS Check out our new referal protocol to request immigration legal help for inidividuals detained in ICE custody from VAAP and the Center for Justice Reform Clinic at https://www.vaapvt.org/legal-support. Our case capacity changes week to week, so please sending us your requests for new legal help even if we were unable to assist last time! Our latest service learners are working diligently to build out our ICE activity tracking and reporting workflows this fall, so we can help combat misinformation and get people access to reliable information they need to plan how to move through our community safely. Meanwhile, please continue to direct any requests for "rapid response" community interventions to personally witnessed ICE or CBP activity to Migrant Justice at 802-881-7229. Continue to direct any non-emergent ICE or CBP activity to VAAP at bit.ly/report-migra-vt. Thank you! Speaking with Seven Days about the long-awaited CBP-DOC contract renewal, VAAP "was glad to hear it was renewed, if only to ensure detainees will not be sent out of state by default..." but disappointed we weren't engaged in negotiations to seek redressal of "significant prisoner’s rights issues...getting in the way of our ability to do meaningful legal work.'" Read the story and MOU here. LEARNING WITH VAAP HAPPENING TODAY!  Don’t miss this rare opportunity to join Vermont's immigration legal leaders in high-level conversation at the VBA Meeting today at Hotel Champlain in Burlington for 1.5 MCLE. We're making sense of all the employment, family, and humanitarian immigration changes; the explosion in enforcement and removals; and how folks can get involved. It's not too late to sign up! Step into federal court with confidence! A Bench Bar is a unique forum where attorneys meet together with judges to exchange feedback, ask questions, and discuss courtroom practice. As VAAP's work grows increasingly federal, current and potential VAAP volunteer attorneys are strongly encouraged to attend one or both sessions in Rutland on 10/10 or Burlington on 10/24, both 11:30AM-1PM. Join ACLU VT's Advocacy Academy, a four-part virtual training series designed to equip you with the tools to protect our freedoms right here in Vermont. Running Thursdays from Oct. 30 through Nov. 20. If you are an ACLU supporter interested in advancing policy initiatives that will help to defend Vermonters, register here!  And speaking of ACLU VT, big thanks for your powerful litigation and legislative partnership! Network with VAAP at their Oct. 16 Annual Meeting from 5:30PM at Barr Hill. RSVP required. Also join VAAP at Common Good VT's upcoming trainings including a free peer panel discussion on nonprofit advocacy in action ahead of the 2026 State House session, and operational security for nonprofits in adversarial times. Learn more and register here. IMMIGRATION INTERSECTIONS 📣 Applications for the 2026 Class of Justice Fellows are now open and close Sunday 10/19 at 11:59PM! Law school graduates with an interest in defending immigrant communities are invited to apply. VAAP and local legal partners will continue to apply to welcome new fellows into our growing immigration legal bar. Learn more here. The ACLU of Vermont and the Education Justice Coalition have released new toolkits to help schools safeguard immigrant students, LGBTQ+ youth, and inclusive education practices this 2025–26 school year. They cover privacy protections, equity policies, emergency planning, and defending inclusive curricula. Access both toolkits by clicking here. Starting October 1, federal changes to 3SquaresVT will cut SNAP benefits for hundreds of noncitizen and mixed status households. Hunger Free Vermont and Vermont Language Justice Project are coordinating multilingual outreach about what to expect and who can help. Review the multilingual outreach videos here and learn more from the State Refugee Office here. VAAP was beyond grateful for the Pride Center of VT for honoring VAAP alongside sanctuary schools pioneer Wilmer Chavarria as grand marshals of the 2025 Pride Parade! It was an incredible opportunity for VAAP's majority LGBTQIA+ staff to gather and celebrate our vibrancy. A huge thanks also to the VAAP Board for their solidarity fundraising for PCVT! Immigration justice is queer justice! Check out more pictures and Jill's remarks on our instagram, @VTAsylum. Also read Seven Days' feature on Wilmer's work for Vermont immigrant communities here. Speaking of Seven Days' coverage of partners' tremendous work for Vermont immigrant communities, huge thanks to our partners at Migrant Justice and Vermont Legal Aid for paving the way on Act 31 implementation and securing minor guardianships for over 100 mixed-status families at risk. We are so grateful for their complementary work. Read the full story here. ON THE RECORD With David Goodman of VT Digger's Vermont Conversation Podcast: “'I’m looking around at our office that’s not even unpacked and we barely have lights and WiFi. How are we holding our own against Trump’s Department of Justice that just got a big, beautiful raise?' marveled Martin Diaz, who described fighting the Trump administration as akin to David vs. Goliath." For the Immigrant Justice Corps (IJC) national blog: "I am currently a Fellow at Vermont Asylum Assistance Project (VAAP), a relatively new and small team located in Burlington, Vermont. If I were to summarize my experience as an IJC Fellow into one word, that word would be “collaboration.” The constant collaboration with other legal organizations and community groups has redefined what resourcefulness, legal practice, and community means to me."  THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! This week, NWSCF detained Palestinian asylee Mohammed Rashid (below), who has endured 14+ months of unjust ICE detention even after winning asylum, presented VAAP staff with paper flower bouquets he crafted himself to thank us for the federal and immigration litigation we're delivering on his behalf. His hope for freedom and willingness to keep fighting are a powerful reminder that your support turns legal action into lasting impact. When federal funding was unexpectedly pulled in February, your generosity carried VAAP through a season of growth and urgency. Together—with major gifts, grassroots donors, foundations, volunteers, and partners—we’ve brought staff back from furlough, expanded legal capacity, launched statewide intake planning, and secured historic new support for detention defense and community lawyering. None of this would be possible without you. Thank you for ensuring no Vermonter faces detention or deportation alone! Donate to VAAP Vermont Asylum Assistance Project  P.O. Box 814, Elmwood Ave, Burlington, VT 05402 802-999-5654 ‖ info@vaapvt.org ‖ www.vaapvt.org Copyright © 2025, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

September 17, 2025

How to Ask for Help; How to Prepare to Volunteer

View this email in your browser Vermont Asylum Assistance Project is a legal services and technical assistance organization that exists to mentor no-cost and low-cost immigration lawyers and legal workers; educate and serve immigrants and community members; maximize impact across sectors; and advocate to protect immigrants’ rights. Join us: www.vaapvt.org. FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR In this video, VAAP executive director Jill Martin Diaz walks us through the FY25 Impact Report, FY26 Impact Plan, and VAAP's three-year roadmap.  Dear friends, It is difficult to overstate how harmful this year has been for immigrants in Vermont. The endless threats, dehumanizing rhetoric, and brazen enforcement activities have steeped the everyday in instability and fear, compounding harm in our communities. And yet, this summer has also been a season of resilience and resistance. Across Vermont, immigrant communities and their allies have organized, advocated, celebrated, and won—turning fear and hardship into collective strength and care. From the soccer fields to the courthouses, at our houses of worship and in the streets, our communities have shown what’s possible when we act together in solidarity. VAAP is proud to be part of this momentum, growing in capacity while staying rooted in our values: centering impacted communities, protecting fundamental fairness and dignity, and delivering work that strengthens collective struggles for justice. In just the past few weeks, we helped secure another major federal court victory blocking ICE from unlawfully transferring a detained asylee outside Vermont. We also released our first-ever Annual Impact Report and FY26 Roadmap while standing proudly with allied organizations in advocacy and celebration. At the same time, we deepened partnerships with undergraduate service learners and volunteer attorneys, expanding access to reliable information through our self-help library and trainings and regular legal orientation visits to noncitizens ICE is detaining in Vermont DOC facilities. This newsletter shares both the realities we’re navigating and the pivots carrying us forward. Below, you’ll find new detention defense referral protocols, urgent policy updates on food security and state coordination, practical resources for schools and families, upcoming events and hiring opportunities, reflections on our visibility in the media and the community. Through it all, what remains constant is the power of working together.  And speaking of building together, keep an eye out for announcements celebrating several new staff as well as upcoming opportunities to join our growing team. Also stay tuned for expansions to our groundbreaking Detention Defense pro bono project highlighted in the video below. We can’t wait to share what’s next. With gratitude and care, Jill Martin Diaz, Esq. Executive Director Donate to VAAP Want to read this newsletter in Spanish, French, Haitian Creole, Dari, or Portuguese? Visit www.vaapvt.org/newsletters and select your language in the top right corner. ¿Desea leer este boletín en español, francés, criollo haitiano, dari o portugués? Visite www.vaapvt.org/newsletters y seleccione su idioma en la esquina superior derecha. Quer ler este boletim em espanhol, francês, crioulo haitiano, dari ou português? Visite www.vaapvt.org/newsletters e selecione seu idioma no canto superior direito. Voulez-vous lire ce bulletin en espagnol, français, créole haïtien, dari ou portugais? Visitez www.vaapvt.org/newsletters et choisissez votre langue en haut à droite. Vle li bilten sa a an panyòl, fransè, kreyòl ayisyen, dari oswa pòtigè? Ale sou www.vaapvt.org/newsletters epi chwazi lang ou anlè adwat. آیا می‌خواهید این خبرنامه را به اسپانیایی، فرانسوی، کریول هایتی، دری یا پرتغالی بخوانید؟ به www.vaapvt.org/newsletters بروید و زبان خود را در گوشهٔ بالا سمت راست انتخاب کنید. VAAP NEWS ⚠️ New Referral Protocol for Detention Cases If someone you know has been arrested by ICE or is in immigration detention, please contact VAAP through our website or our dedicated referral line at detained@vaap.org. These channels are monitored by trained staff and volunteers focused on detention defense. To avoid delays, please do not submit the same referral through multiple channels or contact staff directly. When reaching out, include the detained person’s full name, date of birth, A-number and facility (if known), along with your contact information and relationship to them. VAAP’s mission is to ensure no one makes life-altering immigration decisions based only on ICE’s advice. Learn more here. ⚖️ Highlight: TRO Granted for Detained Asylee During a routine facility visit at Northwest State Correctional Facility last week, VAAP staff and volunteers identified a critical case of an asylee from Palestine who was being unlawfully detained after being granted asylum. Thanks to rapid collaboration between VAAP and AALV attorney Nathan Virag, a motion for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) was filed and swiftly granted by the Vermont federal court, preventing an unnecessary transfer and opening the door for further relief. What began as a short consultation on an ordinary Wednesday became a life-changing intervention—made possible by ongoing facility visits, the dedication of staff and volunteers, and the strength of Vermont’s immigration law community. Read more on our blog. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ Pride & Solidarity VAAP director Jill Martin Diaz is honored to be named a Grand Marshal of the 2025 Pride March by the Pride Center of Vermont, alongside Wilmer Chavarria. We celebrate the deep connections between immigrant justice and LGBTQIA+ liberation, and invite you to support PCVT through our board’s Givebutter campaign in solidarity with their work. FOR COMMUNITIES 📣 Act 29: Office of New Americans Study Committee The first meeting of Vermont’s new Office of New Americans Study Committee has taken place. The group will meet for one year before reporting to the Legislature for the 2026–28 biennium. While some members noted concern about the short timeline, we know that for communities under federal attack, a year already feels too long to wait for state-level coordination. We urge community members to join these meetings, make your voices heard, and help ensure the state does not delay. The State Refugee Office will publish minutes and schedules at this link. 🎒 New Students’ Rights Toolkits for VT Schools The ACLU of Vermont and the Education Justice Coalition have both released new Students’ Rights Toolkits to help schools protect immigrant students and families ahead of the 2025–26 academic year. These resources cover protecting immigrant family privacy and noncitizen students’ right to education, upholding anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ youth, strengthening equity and inclusion practices, preparing families with emergency and legal plans, and defending the freedom to teach an inclusive curriculum without political interference. We encourage you to share these toolkits widely in your school communities: ACLU VT | Ed Justice Coalition. ⛔ 3SquaresVT (SNAP) Changes Effective Oct 1, 2025 Starting October 1, federal changes to 3SquaresVT (SNAP) will strip eligibility from many noncitizen households, including refugees, asylees, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, parolees, trafficking survivors, and SIV holders. About 1,600 noncitizens in Vermont currently receive benefits, and hundreds are expected to lose access. Households will receive mailed notices this month, with benefits ending October 1. Hunger Free Vermont and Vermont Language Justice Project (VLJP) are preparing multilingual outreach, but the state has not announced replacement resources, making food shelves and mutual aid critical. Learn more from the State Refugee Office. 🏛️ Attorney General’s Town Hall for Nonprofits Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark will host a free virtual town hall on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, from 1–2:30 PM to discuss the impact of recent federal executive orders on Vermont’s nonprofit sector. She will be joined by Rebecca Ellis (State Director, Senator Welch’s Office) and Rod Smolla (Vermont Law & Graduate School) to share insights, resources, and actions nonprofits can take to protect their organizations and communities. The event includes a moderated Q&A. Register here. 🦾 Field Manager Position The ACLU of Vermont is hiring a Field Manager to lead statewide organizing and outreach efforts. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with experience in electoral, legislative, or advocacy campaigns to play a central role in advancing civil rights in Vermont. Strong strategic and relationship-building skills are essential. Learn more and apply here. 🦾 Network Coordinator Position The VT–NH Asylum Support Network is hiring a part-time Network Coordinator to help grow and strengthen its volunteer-led coalition supporting asylum seekers across Vermont and New Hampshire. This flexible, remote role (16 hours/week) is ideal for someone highly organized, tech-savvy, and committed to equity and justice. Learn more and apply here. 🧩 Save the Date: 2025 Civil Rights Summit Join the Vermont Human Rights Commission on November 14–16 for the Civil Rights Summit, a statewide gathering of nonprofits, community leaders, organizers, and policymakers to strategize bold, collaborative approaches to protecting and advancing civil rights in Vermont. The Summit will be hosted at Vermont State University in Randolph, with panelists and registration details coming soon. Check with the HRC for updates here. FOR ATTORNEYS 📅 Education & Engagement Join VAAP and Vermont’s immigration bar leaders for a roundtable on the state of immigration law at the VBA Midyear Meeting in Burlington later this month. Come a day early for the VBF Justice Social—a casual networking event hosted by the Vermont Bar Foundation and Burlington Business Association, happening on September 25 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at Halvorson’s. Additionally, don’t miss the First Annual Justice Gala on November 6 at ECHO in Burlington—an inspiring evening honoring access to justice, hosted by the Vermont Bar Foundation (tickets available here). Another great opportunity to network with colleagues and meet VAAP staff at the VBA Fall Mixer on September 11 from 4:30 PM at Foam—perfect for lawyers interested in pro bono work to connect and stay engaged (learn more here). 🦾 Immigration Legal Fellow Position The ACLU of New Hampshire is hiring a full-time Immigration Legal Fellow for a two-year term based in Concord, NH, with travel to ICE facilities in Dover and Berlin. The fellowship will focus primarily on immigration law and offers an opportunity to advance justice for immigrant communities in New England. Learn more and apply here. ON THE RECORD AG Bondi's threats to Vermont for its so-called 'sanctuary' lawmaking is "'[j]ust the latest example of the weaponization of politicized and poorly defined and poorly understood terms,' they said. 'It’s designed to have a chilling effect on Vermont agencies and businesses and organizations’ ability to do their work.'" “'The biggest takeaway for me,'” Matters-Wood said, 'was just, this is a very, very effective system for disappearing people before they have any opportunity for any kind of defense or any real substantive due process.'" "Now, the key immigration law organization helping noncitizens fight detention and removal in Vermont is expanding rapidly, according to Executive Director Jill Martin Diaz. That’s thanks to both private donations — some in the six figures — as well as a $100,000 grant from the Vermont Immigration Legal Defense Fund." THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT 🛣️ BECAUSE OF YOU! 🛣️ From the moment community members reached out after February’s unexpected federal funding pull, your generosity has carried VAAP through a season of growth and urgency! To highlight just a few of the incredible partners joining us in our work: ✔️Our first major individual gift, followed by extraordinary multi-year pledges of support from a circle of anonymous women donors, brought two federally funded advocates back from furlough, added new staff attorney capacity, mobilized seasonal legal assistance from undergraduate service learners, and launched planning for a statewide intake system. ✔️A growing community of volunteers, board members, and community partners increased legal access and ensured service quality within an increasingly volatile legal system, while existing support from the Clowes Fund and the State Refugee Office enabled our executive director to remain available for direct service provision alongside other staff. ✔️Historic gifts from the Vermont Bar Foundation and Canaday Family Trust sustained our growing lineup of legal services as one-time seed grants ended with the conclusion of our first year of incorporated operations. ✔️Nationally, the Immigrant Justice Corps restored and expanded fellowship funding through FY28, bringing VAAP to a total of four IJC fellows/advocates on staff, plus a fifth fellow promised beginning September 2026. ✔️Just last week, grassroots giving surged with the Vermont Legal Defense Fund annoucing its first $250K raised, with an initial distribution of $100K to VAAP to support new detention defense, community lawyering, and practice development programming designed to increase access to justice. ✔️We celebrate the many new resources, gifts, and funds earmarked for VAAP with support from Vermont Community Foundation, United Way of Northwest Vermont, Johnson Family Foundation, the Ben and Jerry's Foundation, Vermont Green FC, and other emerging grantmaking partners. ✔️We also celebrate the many grassroots donors who give one-time or recurring contributions directly to VAAP through our website, or host benefit events ranging from lemonade stands to jersey auctions to collection plates at community gatherings. VAAP is mobilizing staff, volunteers, and partners to overcome existential threats and deliver groundbreaking legal services because of supporters like you. Together, your investments are helping us rightsize our infrastructure, retain staff, expand services, and ensure no Vermonter faces detention or deportation alone. It is all because of you. Thank you! Donate to VAAP Vermont Asylum Assistance Project  P.O. Box 814, Elmwood Ave, Burlington, VT 05402 802-999-5654 ‖ info@vaapvt.org ‖ www.vaapvt.org Copyright © 2025, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

August 18, 2025

Volunteer Today to Amplify Our FY25 Impact!

View this email in your browser Vermont Asylum Assistance Project is a legal services and technical assistance organization that exists to mentor no-cost and low-cost immigration lawyers and legal workers; educate and serve immigrants and community members; maximize impact across sectors; and advocate to protect immigrants’ rights. Join us: www.vaapvt.org. FROM IMPACT TO ACTION 📊 OUR FIRST ANNUAL REPORT IS HERE 📊 We’re proud to share VAAP’s first-ever Annual Impact Report, alongside our new Three-Year Roadmap and FY26 Impact Plan at www.vaavt.org/impact. Together, these tell the story of what we’ve achieved in this most unusual first year of operations — freeing community members from detention, building Vermont’s capacity for immigration defense, and expanding pathways for justice, and where we’re headed next. Here’s what your support made possible in FY25 — six key areas where our collective work created real, measurable change: Immigration Legal Services. Opened 50 full-scope cases, served 300+ asylum seekers, freed 5 detainees, won 13 terminations, opened 35 juvenile cases, and filed hundreds of applications. Volunteer & People Power. Mobilized 30+ lawyers (3,000+ hrs), 40+ service learners (5,000+ hrs), 4 embedded attorneys (3,000+ hrs), and dozens of interpreters saving $20K+. Policy & Advocacy. Helped pass 5 pro-immigrant bills, testified in 10+ hearings, presented 3 panels, and secured key state and federal leadership appointments. Education & Outreach. Trained hundreds including 400+ at the 2024 Symposium, delivered dozens of KYRs, 2 podcasts, multilingual videos, and reached 13 of 14 VT counties. Media & Visibility. Earned 30+ media hits, 4 op-eds, 2 TV features, $75K–125K media value, 62K website views, 25K newsletter reach with 54% open rate. Revenue & Growth. Achieved $500K+ revenue growth, doubled budget despite federal cuts, expanded team from 1 to 6 lawyers/support, built an 11-member board, and hosted IJC fellows. None of it would have been possible without the dedication of our volunteers, partners, and supporters like YOU. And we’re asking you to be part of the next chapter. ⏰OUR NEXT STEPS START NOW: A CALL TO ACTION ⏰ We urgently need attorney and interpreter volunteers to join us for one or more of our weekly legal visits to people in immigration detention in Vermont's Department of Corrections (DOC) facilities. If you’ve never done a facility visit before, or if immigration law feels daunting — you’re not alone. This work is accessible, and you’ll have training, mentorship, and a supervising team at your side. We need you! To show you what it’s like, we’ve created a short video linked here and embedded below that takes you inside our detention visit program — giving you a feel for the work, the people, and the difference your presence can make. Watch it, share it, and consider stepping into this powerful, life-changing role. Read on to: Act on Opportunity: State Refugee Office’s Request for Proposals due August 25. Shape Vermont’s Future: Join the August 29 Office of New Americans Study Committee public meeting online. Know the Trends: Updates on local enforcement, detention, and airport transfers. See the Story: Recent media coverage on why Vermont was underprepared, and how VAAP and partners are punching above our weight in national immigration justice leadership. Plus, a cheat sheet for sharing this newsletter with speakers of Spanish, Portuguese, Haitan Creole, Dari, and French.  You make all of this possible, and we are so lucky to have you in our corner. With endless gratitude and care, Jill Martin Diaz, Esq. Executive Director Watch and share the video at @VTAsylum or https://www.instagram.com/vtasylum/  Donate to VAAP Want to read this newsletter in Spanish, French, Haitian Creole, Dari, or Portuguese? Visit www.vaapvt.org/newsletters and select your language in the top right corner. ¿Desea leer este boletín en español, francés, criollo haitiano, dari o portugués? Visite www.vaapvt.org/newsletters y seleccione su idioma en la esquina superior derecha. Quer ler este boletim em espanhol, francês, crioulo haitiano, dari ou português? Visite www.vaapvt.org/newsletters e selecione seu idioma no canto superior direito. Voulez-vous lire ce bulletin en espagnol, français, créole haïtien, dari ou portugais? Visitez www.vaapvt.org/newsletters et choisissez votre langue en haut à droite. Vle li bilten sa a an panyòl, fransè, kreyòl ayisyen, dari oswa pòtigè? Ale sou www.vaapvt.org/newsletters epi chwazi lang ou anlè adwat. آیا می‌خواهید این خبرنامه را به اسپانیایی، فرانسوی، کریول هایتی، دری یا پرتغالی بخوانید؟ به www.vaapvt.org/newsletters بروید و زبان خود را در گوشهٔ بالا سمت راست انتخاب کنید. FROM WINS TO WHAT'S NEXT 📋 SUMMER REVIEW AND FALL PREVIEW 📋 To add context to our FY26 Impact Plan, below we highlight key lessons from a busy summer of detention defense and training, and preview the growth, partnerships, and advocacy we’re building together this fall: We're ramping up VDOC detention visits to a weekly basis. The impact of these visits is stunning. In July, for example, we met with nine detainees seeking legal help at CRCF, many of whom were not even clear on where they were being held. In August, at NWSCF, we met 14. Each visit, VAAP staff and volunteers used in-person and telephonic interpreter services to mythbust ICE's misinformation, intervene on untranslated ICE documents, and challenged ICE's unlawful detention after bond was paid.  We are calling on volunteer attorneys and interpreters to join us for one or more of our soon-weekly visit(s)! Regular and reliable access to DOC facilities is key. Reliable, large windows of visit time will allow more volunteer attorneys to plan ahead of time to join us—human resources our small team urgently needs to help us screen cases, file bond requests, and connect people with counsel before transfers occur. We are prioritizing gaining access to detainees while they are inside DOC facilities over other, downstream settings like the Burlington Airport, since private, in-person attorney-client meetings are the best available setting for meaningful and accessible detention service delivery. Learn more about volunteering here. Our detention defense trainings are already leading to action. We are implementing follow-up items from this summer's immigration bond and habeas bail litigation trainings, and revamping our online library to make resources more accessible. Expect training materials, calls to action, and practice tools to roll out this fall.  A new semester of student-driven VAAP work begins this month. Next week, VAAP welcomes a new student cohort into our UVM service learning class,  Working with Refugees (coded as SWSS1040 by Martin Diaz for interested students). VAAP advocates Emma and Jill will mobilize this semester's students to dedicate about 9 hours per week toward case support and case management for a designated VAAP lawyer, in addition to ongoing virtual library development . We are so grateful for all of our service learning partnerships.  Speaking of service learning, we are welcoming two Semester for Impact interns/fellows this fall. Thanks to support from the College for Social Innovation, undergraduate SFI fellows Sarah and Mona will dedicate about 30 hours per week toward routine VAAP case and operations support,  as well as special projects that will strengthen VAAP’s infrastructure and expand our reach. Expect introductions to these wonderful students and their special projects in the next newsletter. And speaking of introductions, our staff is growing! Five new staff, including two additional Immigrant Justice Corps fellows, are joining VAAP in the coming weeks, rapidly expanding our ability to meet urgent needs statewide. Spotlights coming soon! Read Our Plan FOR COMMUNITIES 📣 Be Heard: Attend Act 29 "Office of New Americans" Study Meetings In the 2025 legislative session, the State House created an Office of New Americans Study Committee to recommend how Vermont should establish a state-based coordinating body for ALL immigrant services in Vermont. Who is meeting: The Legislature's 9-member Committee, appointed by the Governor, includes both state leaders and community stakeholders. The Committee’s work will focus on reviewing data, learning from other states, and consulting with community organizations to understand the needs of foreign born people in Vermont. Its recommendations will address business, workforce, the economy, licensure, training, education, and how state government can better support and provide services. The Committee will meet several times this fiscal year in open meetings during which the public will be given ample time to provide comment. Why it matters: This is a once-in-a-generation chance to shape the systems that allow our organizations and communities to grow — and to thrive. The Committee needs to hear directly from those most impacted, as well as from the people and organizations who serve them every day, voices too often missing from processes like this. That means YOU. What you can do: Join VAAP at these public forums we bring forward the priorities you care about most in our public comments — and make plenty of your own — making sure our collective voice shapes the future for foreign born individuals and families and centers the needs of the most impacted communities in Vermont. Let’s show the Committee what we mean by immigration justice. Mark your calendar, join the conversation, and invite others to attend. 📅 FIRST MEETING is Friday, August 29, 2025 Join the virtual meeting at 11:00AM here Materials and future meeting schedule posted here   📌 In Case You Missed It: VT Agency of Human Services' Grant Round! The Vermont State Refugee Office (SRO) is seeking proposals from experienced refugee/immigrant service providers to deliver employment services, English language instruction, case management, and other social and legal service supports for refugees and displaced immigrant populations in 2026. Grant Term: 12 months (Jan–Dec 2026) with potential renewal Total Funding: ~$1.2M available statewide ~$700K for Chittenden & Rutland & surrounding regions  ~$500K for Brattleboro & Bennington $ surrounding regions  Awards: 2–3 larger ones per region (small awards not anticipated) VAAP is not coordinating applications for this round, but we’ve been invited to sign on to coalition-based asks from service partners as a potential legal services subcontractor under our new Community Legal Service Worker initiative. We’re sharing this here so our entire network knows about the opportunity — and so partners can connect directly if interested. 📅DEADLINE to apply is Monday, August 25, 2025 Copy of AHS RFP Announcement Copy of AHS Questions and Answers  Copy of VAAP Community Legal Services Worker project brief 🧩 Save the Date: 2025 Civil Rights Summit With civil rights at risk around the country, it’s more important than ever to come together and strategize state-level solutions. Vermont has long been a leader in innovative policies to advance civil rights — and we invite you to be part of that tradition. This fall, the Vermont Human Rights Commission will gather in Randolph for the 2025 Civil Rights Summit, bringing together nonprofits, community leaders, movement organizers, and policymakers to explore collaborative approaches to defending civil rights in our state. 📅 Dates: November 14–16, 2025 📍 Location: Vermont State University, Randolph, VT Stay tuned for more details on panelists and registration. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️Save the Date: Vermont Pride 2025! Join VAAP at Pride Center of Vermont's signature event, the annual Pride march and celebration! We'll be marching on Sunday, September 7th and taking point in other festivities in between. Help us show up and show out for queer and trans immigrants this Pride, especially trans immigrant YOUTH! ⚽🥅 Special Thanks to Migrant Justice for Torneo '25! VAAP was so grateful to participate in the annual Migrant Justice Soccer Tournament this past weekend. It was a gorgeous day spent connecting with community members, sharing legal information and referrals, and celebrating grassroots resilience. It really refilled our cups. Thanks for all you do! FOR ATTORNEYS Curious about what it's like to volunteer with VAAP? Interested in championing VAAP supported pro bono projects at your law firm? VAAP attorneys will be mingling at the VBF's upcoming Justice Social on September 25th at Burlington's Halvorson's. Join us. Immigration Roundtable: Where Are We Now? VBA Annual Meeting – Burlington Join Vermont’s leading immigration practitioners and the Vermont Bar Association for a high-level, discussion-based panel exploring the most pressing developments in immigration law today. This 90-minute roundtable will offer a rare holistic view across practice areas, with concrete takeaways and case examples to help you leave informed, empowered, and ready to act. Panelists & Topics Leigh Cole (Dinse) – I-9 spot checks and compliance Becky Fu von Trapp (Von Trapp Immigration Law and VBA Immigration Section Co-Chair) – Employer-sponsored pathways Leslie Holman (Holman Immigration Law) – Consular processing and border crossing Sidney Collier (Collier Immigration Law) – Family-sponsored pathways Dawn Seibert (Defender General’s Office) – Padilla advice and post-conviction relief Emily Kenyon (Federal Defenders) – Criminal immigration charges and D-VT trends Brett Stokes (Vermont Law and Graduate School) – Detention, removal defense, and crim-imm developments under Vermont criminal law Hillary Rich (ACLU Vermont) – Immigration intersections with new state laws and key constitutional/APA/statutory challenges Each panelist will share three key takeaways from their specialty area, paired with a brief real-world example, followed by interactive group discussion and audience Q&A. Expect myth-busting, practical insights, and a call to action for greater pro bono engagement. Moderated by Jill Martin Diaz (VAAP and VBA Immigration Section Co-Chair). What happens in NH impacts everyone. For every state-based immigration advancement in Maine and Vermont, we're also seeing commensurate entanglement between NH state law enforcement and ICE, entanglements deeply felt region-wide. For example, VAAP asylum seeking client Nafiou Lamidi is languishing in unlawful detention at FCI Berlin, and pro bono co-council from Montroll Oettinger & Barquist and ACLU-NH are gaining ground litigating Nafiou's habeas corpus claims in NH Federal District Court. In case you missed it, Nafiou Lamidi in the news: Come Support A Detained Asylum Seeker! – Central Vermont Refugee Action Network shares powerful community testimony after Nafiou’s unexplained detention following a routine ICE check-in. Protesters in St. Johnsbury Demand Release of Detained Asylum Seeker – VisaVerge details the community’s outcry over Nafiou’s arrest and the due process concerns it raised. Rally for African Incarcerated by ICE – Vermont Daily Chronicle covers the May 31 rally supporting Nafiou and demanding transparency around his detention. People rally in St. Johnsbury for release of detained asylum seeker – WCAX News reports on the local solidarity and messages of hope behind the protest. Join the fight for immigration justice for Nafiou and for all: The ACLU of New Hampshire (ACLU-NH) seeks a full-time Immigration Legal Fellow in Concord, New Hampshire. This is a two-year, limited-term position based in NH with required travel to ICE facilities in Dover and Berlin. The fellowship will principally focus on immigration law. Learn more and apply here! ✨ Save the Date: First Annual Justice Gala We’re excited to join our friends at Vermont Legal Aid, Legal Services Vermont, and the Vermont Bar Foundation in celebrating the First Annual Justice Gala — an evening honoring Vermont’s access to justice community and marking 30 years of Legal Services Vermont. 📅 Date: Thursday, November 6, 2025 📍 Location: ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington 🕕 Time: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM This inspiring evening will bring together legal professionals, nonprofit leaders, public officials, and supporters of access to justice to celebrate the people and organizations working to ensure that all Vermonters—regardless of income—can get the legal help they need. Evening highlights include: Recognition of Legal Services Vermont’s 30 years of service Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments Networking with the broader justice community Opportunities to support the future of legal aid in Vermont Mark your calendars. We look forward to celebrating with you! VAAP IN THE NEWS “The biggest takeaway for me,” Matters-Wood said, “was just, this is a very, very effective system for disappearing people before they have any opportunity for any kind of defense or any real substantive due process.” “We know that life-altering decisions to detain and deport people are happening too quickly and too often in error, not only devastating individuals and families, but also threatening constitutional rights and civil liberties for all. Access to counsel isn’t a luxury—it’s the bare minimum for a fair shot at justice.” VAAP Executive Director Jill Martin Diaz said that this "moment of heightened awareness must spur us to push for meaningful, lasting change: Rigorous congressional oversight, transparent rulemaking and robust legal representation for everyone facing federal detention or removal proceedings." "...Know that these types of enforcement activities existed before this moment... [We] have been seeing these kinds of detentions and removal proceedings for a long time, including here in Vermont. It's a scary moment, but it's not unprecedented like we think, and its an opportunity." THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT 🛣️ BECAUSE OF YOU! 🛣️ From the moment community members reached out after February’s unexpected federal funding pull, your generosity has carried VAAP through a season of growth and urgency! To highlight just a few of the incredible partners joining us in our work: ✔️Our first major individual gift, followed by extraordinary multi-year pledges of support from a circle of anonymous women donors, brought two federally funded advocates back from furlough, added new staff attorney capacity, mobilized seasonal legal assistance from undergraduate service learners, and launched planning for a statewide intake system. ✔️A growing community of volunteers, board members, and community partners increased legal access and ensured service quality within an increasingly volatile legal system, while existing support from the Clowes Fund and the State Refugee Office enabled our executive director to remain available for direct service provision alongside other staff. ✔️Historic gifts from the Vermont Bar Foundation and Canaday Family Trust sustained our growing lineup of legal services as one-time seed grants ended with the conclusion of our first year of incorporated operations. ✔️Nationally, the Immigrant Justice Corps restored and expanded fellowship funding through FY28, bringing VAAP to a total of four IJC fellows/advocates on staff, plus a fifth fellow promised beginning September 2026. ✔️Just last week, grassroots giving surged with the Vermont Legal Defense Fund annoucing its first $250K raised, with an initial distribution of $100K to VAAP to support new detention defense, community lawyering, and practice development programming designed to increase access to justice. ✔️We celebrate the many new resources, gifts, and funds earmarked for VAAP with support from Vermont Community Foundation, United Way of Northwest Vermont, Johnson Family Foundation, the Ben and Jerry's Foundation, Vermont Green FC, and other emerging grantmaking partners. ✔️We also celebrate the many grassroots donors who give one-time or recurring contributions directly to VAAP through our website, or host benefit events ranging from lemonade stands to jersey auctions to collection plates at community gatherings. VAAP is mobilizing staff, volunteers, and partners to overcome existential threats and deliver groundbreaking legal services because of supporters like you. Together, your investments are helping us rightsize our infrastructure, retain staff, expand services, and ensure no Vermonter faces detention or deportation alone. It is all because of you. Thank you! Donate to VAAP Vermont Asylum Assistance Project  P.O. Box 814, Elmwood Ave, Burlington, VT 05402 802-999-5654 ‖ info@vaapvt.org ‖ www.vaapvt.org Copyright © 2025, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

July 31, 2025

Join us online & at NW State Correctional Facility

View this email in your browser Vermont Asylum Assistance Project is a legal services and technical assistance organization that exists to mentor no- and low-cost immigration lawyers and legal workers; educate and serve immigrants and community members; coordinate maximum impact across sectors; and advocate to protect immigrants’ rights. Join us at www.vaapvt.org. NEWS ALERT: VICTORY! 🔑We're in. When our team visited Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility last Thursday, we expected to meet four ICE detainees. Instead, we found nine—each facing serious barriers to asserting and enjoying their rights. Over four hours, using Spanish, Mandarin, and Turkish interpretation, we uncovered widespread misinformation from ICE, legal documents left untranslated by ICE, and prolonged ICE detention practices. In response, VAAP filed congressional inquiries, connected families and attorneys, supported bond requests, and submitted a wage theft complaint on behalf of one detainee. These actions matter: one client, misled about her asylum case, is now informed about her options to pursue protection. Another, unnecessarily detained despite previously paying bond, is no longer invisible to the system. This visit underscores why access to justice and public accountability—through media attention and advocacy—are vital. When systems fail, our communities step in to protect rights and ensure remedies. Together, we can keep the spotlight on these realities and demand the fair treatment every person deserves. 🖥️Join us TODAY 7/31. Lawyers and legal workers are welcome to join us for FREE continuing legal education (CLE) on habeas bail heaings today 7/31 at 3pm on Zoom. More info below. 🚗Join us TOMORROW 8/1. Lawyers and legal workers are also encouraged to join us for a legal assistance visit to Northwest State Correctional Facility from 8am-12pm. Just like last week, VAAP staff will be on hand to assist legal volunteers to gather facts and issue-spot remedies. No experience necessary. Email info@vaavpt.org to RSVP. 👁️‍🗨️Catch up on local coverage of how VAAP is making sense of: ICE detention practices in Vermont. ICE relocation practices exiting Vermont. Facilitating volunteer attorney access to ICE detainees in VT to prevent disappearances. Superintendent Wilmer Chavarria's unlawful border detention as part of a broader pattern of discriminatory enforcement that predates the present administration. Vermont DOC's upcoming ICE detainee dashboard. Emerging ICE activity tracking tools. Let's not let perfect be the enemy of the good, and learn together! With gratutide, The VAAP Team Donate to VAAP LEARN WITH VAAP 🚨 Free Training Today: Habeas 201 – Bail Hearings Join us today, July 31, 2025, from 3:00–4:30 pm for Habeas 201: Bail Hearings, a free continuing legal education (CLE) presentation co-hosted by VAAP and the ACLU of Vermont. Building on our urgent Habeas 101 training in June—which introduced federal habeas corpus litigation to prevent ICE transfers and prolonged detention—this follow-up session will focus on the process of requesting release from detention on bail as part of a habeas case in Vermont District Court. This training is designed for attorneys interested in defending immigrant detainees and will include practical guidance, case examples, and strategies. 📌 Details: Date/Time: July 31, 2025 | 3:00–4:30 pm Format: Virtual (Zoom link provided upon registration) Credits: 1.5 CLE credits Cost: FREE Don’t miss this opportunity to take the next step in building Vermont’s coordinated detention defense network! 🔗 Register now and receive the Zoom link directly in your inbox. 📣 Thanks again to everyone who joined our Habeas 101 CLE! On June 20, VAAP and VLGS hosted an urgent, first-of-its-kind session on federal habeas corpus litigation to prevent ICE transfers and prolonged detention in Vermont. Sparked by the arrests of Nacho and Heidi, this emergency training explored how habeas can serve as a rapid-response tool to keep detained Vermonters local, preserve access to counsel, and challenge unjust detention practices. 🛠️ Training materials, follow-ups, and the full recording will be available soon. Thanks for your patience! Click here to review the ICE activities and custody trackers ✅ Join our community of practice at VAAP! Join our Weekly Legal & Advocacy Case Rounds—a nonjudgmental, collaborative space for immigration legal and advocacy professionals to share updates, spot trends, and strengthen collective practice across Vermont. No personally identifying client information allowed! Open to attorneys and non-attorney advocates (but not DHS/DOJ personnel), these sessions build shared knowledge without discussing client-specific details. The first hour centers legal practitioners; the second invites broader participation. AI-generated, anonymized notes help track insights on VAAP's blog. Arrive when you can and leave when you need—opt out anytime. Find the meeting links on our Calendar. Come with a question, update, or idea and stay connected! Click here to join rounds 🛡️Training Recap: Immigration Legal Observing & Accompaniment Last month, we also co-hosted a powerful virtual “train the trainer” session for legal advocates, organizers, and community members across Vermont focused on immigration legal observing, accompaniment, and witnessing practices. Huge thanks to the National Lawyers Guild for partnering with us! The training covered real-time skills for observing and documenting ICE check-ins, courthouse appearances, detentions, and more — with an emphasis on safe, ethical, and effective support for impacted individuals and communities. We explored: What to watch for during ICE interactions, youth “wellness checks,” airport transfers, and detention proceedings How to collect usable notes and recordings to support habeas corpus and other legal filings Best practices for ethical data sharing and combating misinformation How accompaniment and community presence can serve as powerful tools for protection and solidarity The goal? To build a broader network of trained volunteers and rapid-response allies who can increase access to reliable, verifiable information about how immigration enforcement operates in our region today. 📎 Slides from the session are now posted on our blog. Check them out along with the recording below, and share with your networks. Next steps and volunteer opportunities coming soon! Vermont Asylum Assistance Project & National Lawyer's Guild - Immigration Legal Observing Training: How to show up effectively as ICE interventions increase Click here to access the slides 💻 Don't Forget: Search Our Website for Weekly Immigration Updates  Remember that fear is the strategy and steady, concerted community response is resistence and resilience. For every outlier case in which the Federal Government takes illegal and inhumane action, there are many more quiet cases going smoothly and under the radar. Visit the VAAP blog, learning libraries, and calendar often to stay up to date on the latest best practices. Use the search bar on our website to term-search for topical information and nationally vetted resources. Searching our website is often the fatest way to access our technical assistance. Recently, we've posted about: Growing our immigration bond and habeas bail resources for attorneys. Self-assessing risk of detention when attending ICE check-ins or other DHS or DOJ appointments. Landmark decisions limiting injunction remedies and eroding due process. Condeming hateful policies that threaten to separate families, force hardworking Vermonters into unemployment, and displace youth from educational programs. Celebrating immigrant-supportive bills signed into Vermont law. Tracking local media coverage of local immigration news. Click here to search our site VAAP IN THE NEWS THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! ⚽This really is #VermontGreenSummer. Huge thanks to all of our incredible supporters, including Vermont Green FC for championing our fight to build Vermont’s first detention defense program. The Club had VAAP presenting to their biggest crowd in history earlier this month. We're so excited to cheer you on at this weekend's national championship game. GO, GREEN! Vermont Asylum Assistance Project  P.O. Box 814, Elmwood Ave, Burlington, VT 05402 802-999-5654 ‖ info@vaapvt.org ‖ www.vaapvt.org Copyright © 2025, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Donate to VAAP

July 11, 2025

Analysis, Trends, & Opportunities Inside

View this email in your browser Vermont Asylum Assistance Project is a legal services and technical assistance organization that exists to mentor no-cost and low-cost immigration lawyers and legal workers; educate and serve immigrants and community members; maximize impact across sectors; and advocate to protect immigrants’ rights. Join us: www.vaapvt.org. NEWS ALERT: VICTORY! 🕊️ Heidi and Nacho are Coming Home Thanks to YOU! We're thrilled to share the joyful news that VAAP clients Heidi and Nacho, cherished colleagues and leaders within the Migrant Justice community, are finally free after nearly a month of unjust ICE detention.  Their release represents not only life-saving personal triumph, but also critical affirmation that the rule of law prevails.  This landmark victory was made possible by Heidi's and Nacho's own courage, the tireless dedication of our legal and community partners, and the unwavering solidarity of people like you! Victory Through Collective Action On June 14, Heidi and her stepfather Nacho were violently detained by U.S. Border Patrol while delivering food to farmworkers in Franklin County, Vermont. Agents pulled them over without cause, smashed their car window, and tore them from their community.  But they didn’t face this injustice alone. Thanks to the courageous legal advocacy of Migrant Justice, the Center for Justice Reform Clinic, and VAAP, Heidi and Nacho challenged the constitutionality of their detention in federal court while simultaneously contesting their deportation in immigration court. Yesterday, the team secured immigration bond and won their release. Today, Heidi and Nacho are exiting ICE custody and coming home safe, where they can continue to fight their deportation surrounded by family and community. This hard-won result is a testament to the extraordinary power of collective care: 📢 Hundreds mobilized at protests across Vermont. 📬 Thousands raised their voices, flooding ICE with messages demanding release. 📖 Dozens of volunteer attorneys and legal workers mobilized on short notice for continuing legal education on detention defense, immigration bond litigation, and habeas bail litigation.  🍉Dozens more legal workers and lay advocates mobilized on short notice for legal observer training. 💸Heroic hours of no-cost legal assistance was provided in federal judicial and administrative courts, and bond was paid by the Vermont Freedom Fund, all powered by your generous support. ⚖️ Legal and paralegal interns, volunteers, partners, and technical assistance providers gave their time, brilliance, and hearts to this groundbreaking effort, from which we plan to learn and scale. 🌱 Historic financial support from a growing ecosystem of visionary funders — ranging from independent women's groups to foundations to the Vermont Immigrant Legal Defense Fund to individual contributors to monthly donors — kept us focused on the complex legal work at hand. Why Local Access Matters At VAAP, we’re especially mindful that our swift and successful legal intervention in Heidi and Nacho’s case was only possible because they were detained locally, within driving distance. We urge our partners and policymakers to be cautious when calling for a blanket ban on ICE detention in Vermont, as it could unintentionally increase harm for detained individuals. As unjust as any detention is, local access can mean the difference between freedom and disappearance. Our clients detained in remote facilities in Louisiana and Texas are nearly impossible to reach. Barriers to contact, limited interpreter access, poor phone and video connections, delays in securing signatures and submitting filings, and hostile benches all intensify the trauma of detention and the barriers to due process of law. The Work Ripples Forward This victory is already fueling more freedom. Yesterday, AALV and VAAP-supported pro bonos used habeas corpus templates developed in Heidi and Nacho’s cases to secure a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) for a lawful permanent resident detained by Border Patrol over the weekend. You're doing it, friends. From case law to community care, the ripple effects of your solidarity are real and growing.  ➡️ Please consider a donation to the Vermont Freedom Fund to ensure others still unjustly jailed can return home, too. ➡️ Check out local coverage of Heidi and Nacho's relaese by VT Digger, Vermont Business Magazine, NBC5, and WCAX. ⬇️ Read on for more news and updates on VAAP programming. With love, grit, and deepest gratitude, The VAAP Team Donate to VAAP LEARN WITH VAAP ⚠️ Detention Trends: Local Impact & New Tracking Tools Enforcement activity in Vermont continues to rise and appears disproportionately high for a state of its size and population—likely due to the outsized presence of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) offices and intensified border patrol operations across the region. Detention has always been a tool available at ICE's discretion when enforcing alleged removability against noncitizens, and Vermont has lagged behind similarly situated states in developing and sustaining infrastructure to hold ICE accountable for well-documented patterns of abused discretion that predate the current federal administration. For too long, ICE abuses of discretion in how it detains and summarily deports Vermonters have been insulated from meaningful accountability or review. But not anymore. Today, most detentions are stemming from a combination of ICE community patrols and collateral arrests of allegedly removable people; targeted enforcement of individuals with prior criminal arrest histories; supervision check-ins for those with prior immigration removal orders; and apprehensions at the northern border. Lack of probable cause and evidence of racial profiling are increasingly common. Detained individuals are typically transferred out of state to nearby ICE facilities within hours or days of apprehension, separating them from family, community, and legal support. Atypical is the trend of relocating people to far-flung places like Texas and Louisiana, where access to counsel or a full and fair hearing is extremely diminished. Given the acute shortage of immigration counsel in Vermont, the vast majority of detainees are unrepresented at the time of arrest. Without a detainee's name, date of birth, and "A-number"—or physically locating someone in a detention facility—it becomes nearly impossible to provide people with outcome-changing legal assistance. These representation gaps are especially severe for individuals held in southern U.S. facilities, compared to those detained in New England (as was common before 2025). Fearmongering to drive immigrants to waive their rights through self-deportation is the strategy. It's a cost-effective way of achieving mass-deportation policy goals. The administration continues to make examples out of outlier cases with ingregious injustices to sow chaos, confusion, and control. This was the case with Mohsen and Rumeysa, and continues to be the case today.  One stark example involves a VT/NH Asylum Support Network supported asylum seeker from the African continent—who has no criminal history and a pending meritorious I-589 asylum application—who ICE detained during a routine "check-in" in St. Albans for no discernable reason. He remains in ICE detention in the south while VAAP advocates challenge his removal and seek release on bond (now complicated by the recent Matter of Q. Li decision, which restricts bond eligibility for “recent arrivals”). To our knowledge, this is the only recent case in Vermont where an individual in good standing with a pending asylum application has been detained at a check-in under these circumstances. Another outlier involves a green card holder, also from the African continent, who also lacks any criminal history but who Border Patrol detained on reentry from Canada citing an alleged discrepancy relating to the Visa Bulletin data published during the person's earlier adjustment of status. Partners at AALV and pro bono co-counsel supported by VAAP have already secured a Temporary Restraining Order in federal district court to prevent ICE from unnecessarily transferring this person while counsel requests release on bond and prepares available defenses against removal. To our knowledge, this is only the second recent case in Vermont where a lawful permanent resident has been detained on non-criminal charges of removability (the other being Mohsen Mahdawi). Note how both cases align with the overarching, historical, and institutional prevalence of anti-Blackness in immigration enforcement. In response, VAAP and partners are ramping up new areas of federal and administrative litigation for populations most at risk, and advocating with Vermont Corrections to ensure ICE detainees' equitable access to counsel. We are also revitalizing the ICE Tracker, a fledgling project launched to document and respond to ICE activity across Vermont and to help us understand new enforcement norms so we can advise people to make informed decisions about their cases and lives. The Microsoft Form submission tool is now live and open to community members and VAAP promises to report vetted data at a regular cadence. We are also hosting a community organizer-coordinated public-facing Airtable dashboard, featured below, that collates anonymized DHS and VT DOC data to inform the public, media, and legal networks about likely detention rates on any given day. We welcome community contributions and ideas to help ensure this tool is accurate, sustainable, and responsive to the realities on the ground. Are you a legal worker or interpreter looking to get involved? Visit our website to learn more and sign up. Click here to review the ICE activities and custody trackers ✅ Join our community of practice at VAAP! Join our Weekly Legal & Advocacy Case Rounds—a nonjudgmental, collaborative space for immigration legal and advocacy professionals to share updates, spot trends, and strengthen collective practice across Vermont. No personally identifying client information allowed! Open to attorneys and non-attorney advocates (but not DHS/DOJ personnel), these sessions build shared knowledge without discussing client-specific details. The first hour centers legal practitioners; the second invites broader participation. AI-generated, anonymized notes help track insights on VAAP's blog. Arrive when you can and leave when you need—opt out anytime. Find themeeting links on our Calendar. Come with a question, update, or idea and stay connected! Click here to join rounds 📣 Thank you to everyone who joined our Habeas 101 CLE! On June 20, VAAP and VLGS hosted an urgent, first-of-its-kind Continuing Legal Education (CLE) session on federal habeas corpus litigation to prevent ICE transfers and prolonged detention in Vermont. Sparked by the arrests of Nacho and Heidi, this emergency training explored how habeas can serve as a rapid-response tool to keep detained Vermonters local, preserve access to counsel, and challenge unjust detention practices. We drew on lessons from recent victories in the Mohsen and Rumeysa cases and began building a coordinated defense model alongside partners including the ACLU of Vermont the the Center for Justice Reform Clinic, and technical experts at the Federal Defenders and the VT Defender General’s Office. 🛠️ Training materials and the full recording will be available soon, with follow-up emails going out to attendees and interested volunteers. 📅 Save the date for the next session! Habeas 201: Bail Hearings Late July | Online | FREE CLE Hosted by the ACLU of Vermont—stay tuned for details! Click here to learn more 🛡️Training Recap: Immigration Legal Observing & Accompaniment Last month, we also co-hosted a powerful virtual “train the trainer” session for legal advocates, organizers, and community members across Vermont focused on immigration legal observing, accompaniment, and witnessing practices. Huge thanks to the National Lawyers Guild for partnering with us! The training covered real-time skills for observing and documenting ICE check-ins, courthouse appearances, detentions, and more — with an emphasis on safe, ethical, and effective support for impacted individuals and communities. We explored: What to watch for during ICE interactions, youth “wellness checks,” airport transfers, and detention proceedings How to collect usable notes and recordings to support habeas corpus and other legal filings Best practices for ethical data sharing and combating misinformation How accompaniment and community presence can serve as powerful tools for protection and solidarity The goal? To build a broader network of trained volunteers and rapid-response allies who can increase access to reliable, verifiable information about how immigration enforcement operates in our region today. 📎 Slides from the session are now posted on our blog. Check them out along with the recording below, and share with your networks. Next steps and volunteer opportunities coming soon! Vermont Asylum Assistance Project & National Lawyer's Guild - Immigration Legal Observing Training: How to show up effectively as ICE interventions increase Click here to access the slides 💻 Don't Forget: Search Our Website for Weekly Immigration Updates  Remember that fear is the strategy and steady, concerted community response is resistence and resilience. For every outlier case in which the Federal Government takes illegal and inhumane action, there are many more quiet cases going smoothly and under the radar. Visit the VAAP blog, learning libraries, and calendar often to stay up to date on the latest best practices. Use the search bar on our website to term-search for topical information and nationally vetted resources. Searching our website is often the fatest way to access our technical assistance. Recently, we've posted about: Growing our immigration bond and habeas bail resources for attorneys. Self-assessing risk of detention when attending ICE check-ins or other DHS or DOJ appointments. Landmark decisions limiting injunction remedies and eroding due process. Condeming hateful policies that threaten to separate families, force hardworking Vermonters into unemployment, and displace youth from educational programs. Celebrating immigrant-supportive bills signed into Vermont law. Tracking local media coverage of local immigration news. Click here to search our site FROM OUR PARTNERS Click here to learn more A love letter to trans youth in Vermont! Onwards, together. https://www.acluvt.org/en/press-releases/aclu-vermont-statement-supreme-court-decision-us-v-skrmetti Join VT queer law and policy professionals From the State Refugee Office: 🏛️ Federal Budget Impacts on Refugee and Immigrant Populations The recently passed federal budget includes significant changes that will affect access to public benefits for many displaced populations, including refugees, asylees, humanitarian parolees, and others. Key highlights include: Medicaid & Medicare: Starting October 1, 2026 for Medicaid and likely January 2027 for Medicare, only U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), Cuban/Haitian entrants, and COFA migrants (Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau) will remain eligible. Formerly eligible groups like refugees, asylees, parolees, TPS holders, and SIV holders will lose eligibility. SNAP (Food Assistance): Eligibility will mirror changes to Medicaid/Medicare. The start date is unclear, but affected groups include refugees and asylum seekers. Vermont currently has over 1,600 non-citizen SNAP recipients whose benefits may be impacted. Federal guidance is pending. Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA): May serve as a partial fallback for some newly arriving refugees, but was recently reduced to 4 months of coverage. Uncertainty remains about whether it will expand to support more individuals in the future. The state is actively assessing the full impact of these changes and will share updates on possible alternatives or supports for affected communities. 🏛️ Updates on the "Office of New Americans" equivalent (Act 29) Vermont is taking steps toward creating an Office of New Americans (ONA) equivalent, a dedicated office that could help better support foreign-born individuals and families across the state. Right now, the state is forming a study committee to explore what this office could look like and how it could best serve our communities. The Committee will bring together leaders from state agencies and six members nominated by community organizations, including one community member with lived experience. Organizations nominating members include AALV, USCRI VT, Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation, Migrant Justice, and Vermont State University. The committee will meet up to 10 times between August 2025 and September 2026 and deliver a report with recommendations on how to move forward. Nominations are underway. Once members are confirmed by the Governor’s Office, the Committee will hold its first meeting in mid-to-late August. All meetings will be open to the public, and community input is strongly encouraged!   ❓ VAAP’s Role in the ONA-equivalent study? At VAAP, we believe this is an important opportunity to shape the future of immigrant and refugee support in Vermont. We’ll be: 💌 Sharing upcoming meeting dates 💌 Encouraging our community to attend and participate 💌 Joining Committee meetings to make sure your voices are heard Huge thanks to our community partners, national technical assistance providers, lawmakers, and state government champions like the Treasurer's Federal Transition Task Force for advancing this key coordination mechanism when we need it most. VAAP will post updates on our website, social media, and through our newsletter. Stay tuned. Click here to learn more VAAP IN THE NEWS Watch director Jill Martin Diaz talk rule of law and community resilience with ACLU VT and the VT Human Rights Commission on CCTV's The Talk. Click here to watch "'There was some language around only going after folks with criminal records, only going after violent criminals. That just wasn't the case,' said Emma Matters-Wood with the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project." Click here to watch "Vermont Asylum Assistance Project said even though the ban has yet to take effect, they've already received phone calls from people wondering what's going to happen. 'We prepared immediately for what we knew was coming and for what has already happened, which is panicked calls from people who had everything in order,' said Leah Brenner, a contract staff attorney with VAAP." Click here to watch "'If we pace ourselves and we organize and we make use of everyone’s different, complementary skills and resources. And when we use the legal tools in our system of government and our rule of law, we do prevail,' said the group’s Jill Martin Diaz." Click here to watch "The training informed volunteers on how to approach detention facilities, what access lawyers have, the rights of detainees and how to screen for legal support." Click here to watch "A loose group of advocates is urging the panel that oversees operations at Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport to issue a statement describing — and, some said, condemning — how federal immigration agents have repeatedly used Vermont’s largest air hub to transport people detained in the state and possibly facing deportation to other parts of the country." Click here to read THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! 🌟 This Is Collective Power! Thank You! As we reflect on the release of Heidi and Nacho—a profound moment of hope and healing—we also step back to recognize the larger story unfolding all around us: one of rising solidarity, growing capacity, and everyday courage in the face of injustice. This summer isn't just about one legal win. It's about what becomes possible when people across roles, communities, and identities come together to defend dignity and demand accountability. Together, we moved mountains and laid the groundwork for what comes next. Onwards! Vermont Asylum Assistance Project  P.O. Box 814, Elmwood Ave, Burlington, VT 05402 802-999-5654 ‖ info@vaapvt.org ‖ www.vaapvt.org Copyright © 2025, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Donate to VAAP

June 19, 2025

Attend Trainings on Habeas, Legal Ethics, and Legal Observing

View this email in your browser Vermont Asylum Assistance Project is a legal services and technical assistance organization that exists to mentor no-cost and low-cost immigration lawyers and legal workers; educate and serve immigrants and community members; maximize impact across sectors; and advocate to protect immigrants’ rights. Join us: www.vaapvt.org. Donate to VAAP EMERGENCY ACTION ALERT Please excuse us for emailing you on Juneteenth! We're doing the best we can in tough times and want to share time-sensitive information with you: 🧡 VAAP ACTION ALERT: Defend Our Communities, Build Legal Power While hundreds rallied at the State House for Nacho and Heidi, the U.S. District Court for Vermont issued temporary restraining orders stopping ICE from transferring them out of state—ensuring their access to local community and counsel. At the same time, in another case, D. Vt. also ordered ICE to release from custody an Afghan national detained unlawfully while in legal status. These dual rulings reveal what we know: ICE cannot operate outside the law. VAAP is supporting litigation and building bridges between national legal strategies and Vermont’s pro bono bar. Here's how to help: 📢 FRIDAY AM: SHOW UP FOR WUENDY Fri 6/20 at 10AM at the ICE Office, 64 Gricebrook Rd, St. Albans. Migrant Justice leader Wuendy could be detained during her scheduled ICE "check-in" despite a pending stay. Your presence matters! 📚 FRIDAY PM: Immigration Habeas CLE Fri 6/20 at 1PM, online or at VLGS Burlington, 126 College St. For attorneys and experienced legal workers interested in expanding detained immigrants' access to justice through habeas litigation. Free! 📚 TUESDAY AM: Immigration and Legal Ethics CLE Tue 6/24 at 9AM online, instead of normal Case Rounds. For attorney and nonattorney immigration legal workers to navigate ethical challenges, build professional resilience, and ensure competent, collaborative advocacy and government accountability in a high-risk and high-trauma legal landscape. 📚 TUESDAY PM: Virtual Training on Immigration Legal Observing Tue 6/24 at 6PM online. Open to all defenders of rights, especially those ready to witness, observe, or accompany during ICE enforcement in Vermont.  🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈 AND SEND SOME CARE TO TRANS & QUEER IMMIGRANT YOUTH Yesterday, the Supreme Court allowed Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming healthcare to stand in Skrmetti v. Doe, walking back the protections it recognized in Bostock. To queer and trans immigrant youth: We see you. We hear you. We’re fighting for you. You deserve the freedom to be yourself, and you are loved. From our majority queer team to you: you are not alone. CLICK TO SIGN THE PETITION UPCOMING TRAININGS 🛑STOP ICE TRANSFERS WITH HABEAS (FREE 1.0 MCLE) Presented by VAAP, ACLU VT, and the Center for Justice Reform Clinic. THIS Friday June 20 from 1-2:30PM.  126 College Street or Online. Reigster here. In response to the recent arrests of Nacho and Heidi and the need for immediate legal action this weekend, VAAP, ACLU VT, and CJRC are convening an emergency CLE this week to mobilize the legal community around federal habeas corpus litigation as a strategic tool to prevent unnecessary ICE transfers, keep Vermont residents local, and increase their likelihood of release from detention pending removal proceedings. This training is new ground for us—we’ve never led this before and are going to learn by doing, alongisde you. We are especially eager to crowdsource expertise and welcome seasoned practitioners willing to co-create resources and shape training materials in real time. Training Overview: Explore how habeas litigation in the District of Vermont can challenge unjust ICE detention and isolation practices. Share tools to protect access to counsel and preserve local jurisdiction for detained Vermonters. Build off the successful release efforts in the cases of Mohsen and Rumeysa, and scale this model as a coordinated defense strategy. Co-presenters will include attorneys from VAAP, ACLU VT, and the Center for Justice Reform Clinic. Training materials are in active development in concert with partners from Montroll Oettinger Barquist, Federal Defenders, Vermont Afghan Alliance, and the VT Defender General’s Office Appellate Division.  Who should attend: Any Vermont attorneys or legal professionals ready to take action. No prior immigration experience required. Just bring your commitment and curiosity. Let’s build something new together—urgently, collaboratively, and with the tools we have. Register at https://forms.office.com/r/LnEFcd0em2. Contact info@vaapvt.org.  🌟 SPECIAL CASE ROUNDS SESSION – 1.0 FREE MCLE (Ethics Credit) Balancing Ethics, Competence, and Care in Immigration Law Practice NEXT Tuesday, June 24th at 9AM on Microsoft Teams VAAP is thrilled to host a special ethics edition of case rounds in collaboration with pro bono attorney Lila Shapero and Vermont Bar Counsel Mike Kennedy. This 1.0 MCLE session will blend a refresher on the Vermont Rules of Professional Conduct—including competence, confidentiality, communication, and conflicts—with real-world hypotheticals from our immigration casework. Topics on the table include ethical challenges in form disclosures, third-party consults, tech-accessible client communication, intra-family conflict, and limited scope rep. We’ll also look at risk mitigation for unauthorized practice, and best practices for empowering nonattorney legal workers at partner organizations and mutual aid groups. We’ll examine accountability pathways when bad-faith actors—particularly in immigration enforcement—violate professional norms. And we won’t shy away from recent political threats to immigration advocates, including calls to criminally prosecute or disbar attorneys who educate immigrants about their constitutional rights. How afraid should we be? Let’s discuss. Attendees are invited to bring “live” ethics questions for Mike’s signature Bar Counsel-style discussion. We’ll also discuss wellness and sustainability as ethical imperatives in trauma-heavy legal practice. Open to VT immigration legal advocates. General info only—no legal advice. No RSVP needed but prepare to introduce yourself upon arrival and (for attorneys) to share email contact if CLE credit desired. Join when you can, stay as long as you like, and please refrain from sharing personally identifying client information. As the NIPNLG reminds us: engaging in communities of practice is the #1 way to ensure ethical, high-quality advocacy and protect our clients. Thank you for helping us build a more accessible, collaborative, and resilient immigration legal ecosystem. Meeting Link: Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 299 027 927 804 Passcode: 7rM23u8L A discussion summary without attribution will be published on our blog. 📢Immigration Legal Observing, Accompaniment & Witnessing NEXT Tuesday, June 24th at 6:00 PM online Join Vermont legal advocates, organizers, and community members for a collaborative training on how to safely and effectively observe, accompany, and document immigration enforcement activity in Vermont and surrounding regions. This session will train volunteers, legal professionals, and allies in critical skills for immigration legal observing, accompaniment practices, and data collection to support impacted individuals and communities. We’ll cover: What to watch for at ICE check-ins, courthouse appearances, airport transfers, and detentions How to record usable witness statements to support habeas corpus and other legal remedies Best practices for safe and ethical data sharing to help document rights violations, combat misinformation, and track enforcement trends How accompaniment and community presence can protect rights and build solidarity This training is open to everyone committed to defending constitutional and statutory rights, especially for those who may serve as witnesses, legal observers, or supporters in immigration enforcement contexts. Register at bit.ly/VTlegalobserver EVENTS AND RESOURCES This Freedom Day, Burlington's fourth Juneteenth celebration comes to the Twilight Block Party. Join the City's Office of Racial Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging for a celebration featuring local musicians, vendors and businesses. Let's come together to celebrate Black history, joy, and community! Information at https://www.btvreib.com/juneteenth.  U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants invites you to join the celebration of World Refugee Day, June 20, 2025 in Burlington's Leddy Park. It will be an amazing day of family fun with food, sports, field games, kids' arts and crafts, information booths, and a performance by renowned world music band A2VT! Contact USCRI VT at 802-655-1963 for more information or email Field Office Director Sonali Samarasinghe at ssamarasinghe@refugees.org. Vermont Language Justice Project launched a free multilingual app. Help us get it onto the phones of our immigrant community members! THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Supporting VAAP with your partnership, volunteerism, and dollars keeps our legal staff focused on what they do best: providing direct immigration legal services to noncitizen Vermonters in need. Just like Andrea, Leah, and Cami did last week in Lamoille County's Probate Division! Working together with Migrant Justice, the legal team secured the necessary state court findings to secure a pathway to permanent status for a young survivor of gang violence. Thanks to you, our rescinded federal "Unaccompanied Youth" grant can't keep us down. Sending a warm congrats to our client & community! Vermont Asylum Assistance Project  P.O. Box 814, Elmwood Ave, Burlington, VT 05402 802-999-5654 ‖ info@vaapvt.org ‖ www.vaapvt.org Copyright © 2025, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Donate to VAAP

June 16, 2025

Get Trained with VAAP and Rally with Migrant Justice

View this email in your browser Vermont Asylum Assistance Project is a legal services and technical assistance organization that exists to mentor no-cost and low-cost immigration lawyers and legal workers; educate and serve immigrants and community members; maximize impact across sectors; and advocate to protect immigrants’ rights. www.vaapvt.org. Donate to VAAP EMERGENCY ACTION ALERT TAKE ACTION NOW! ⚠️ As reported by the Boston Globe, two longtime VAAP colleagues and Migrant Justice leaders were detained by CBP agents in Vermont on Saturday, June 14th while delivering food to neighbors in Franklin County.  Jose Ignacio “Nacho” De La Cruz was driving with his stepdaughter Heidi Perez, recent Milton High School grad, when CBP pulled them over without cause. As Nacho and Heidi exercised their Fourth Amendment rights, CBP agents smashed their car window and violently detained the two community leaders. Both are now being held in Vermont DOC facilities and at risk of imminent deportation. Attorneys from VAAP and partner organizations mobilized over the weekend to file legal petitions to minimize their prolongued detention and prevent ICE from transferring them unnecessarily out of state. Already the District of Vermont has ruled in Nacho's and Heidi's favor by issuing Temporary Restraining Orders against ICE, and we're using this momentum to get additional attorneys trained quickly to join the cause.  We know how to respond, but WE NEED YOUR HELP: ⛑️Tell ICE to bring Heidi and Nacho home; ⛑️Rally tonight at the State House lawn in Montpelier from 6:30pm; ⛑️For attorneys, get trained on bond practice in administrative immigration court and on habeas practice in judicial district court! Scroll down or visit our calendar for training info!⬇️⬇️⬇️ Click here for tonight's rally info! Click here to sign the petition! FOR ATTORNEYS "Habeas Litigation to Prevent ICE Transfers and Prolongued Detention" Presented by VAAP, ACLU VT, and the Center for Justice Reform Clinic. THIS Friday June 20 from 1-2:30PM.  126 College Street or Online (Link with RSVP) 1.0 MCLE. In response to the recent arrests of Nacho and Heidi and the need for immediate legal action this weekend, VAAP, ACLU VT, and CJRC are convening an emergency CLE this week to mobilize the legal community around federal habeas corpus litigation as a strategic tool to prevent unnecessary ICE transfers, keep Vermont residents local, and increase their likelihood of release from detention pending removal proceedings. This training is new ground for us—we’ve never led this before and are going to learn by doing, alongisde you. We are especially eager to crowdsource expertise and welcome seasoned practitioners willing to co-create resources and shape training materials in real time. Training Overview: Explore how habeas litigation in the District of Vermont can challenge unjust ICE detention and isolation practices Share tools to protect access to counsel and preserve local jurisdiction for detained Vermonters. Build off the successful release efforts in the cases of Mohsen and Rumeysa, and scale this model as a coordinated defense strategy. Co-presenters will include attorneys from VAAP, ACLU VT, and the Center for Justice Reform Clinic. Training materials are in active development in concert with partners from Montroll Oettinger Barquist, Federal Defenders, Vermont Afghan Alliance, and the VT Defender General’s Office Appellate Division.  Who should attend: Any Vermont attorneys or legal professionals ready to take action. No prior immigration experience required. Just bring your commitment and curiosity. Let’s build something new together—urgently, collaboratively, and with the tools we have. Register at https://forms.office.com/r/LnEFcd0em2. Contact info@vaapvt.org.  Missed out Vermont Bar Association trainings this month? The recordings and materials are available on demand on vtbar.org.  Not a VBA member? A follow-up bond training is coming soon for FREE hosted at Vermont Legal Aid. Coming soon! FOR COMMUNITIES Vermont Language Justice Project launched a free multilingual app. Help us get it onto the phones of our immigrant community members! FOR EVERYONE Every Tuesday morning VAAP hosts virtual immigration case rounds for two hours, focusing the first hour on legal service providers and lay service providers. Come when you can and leave when you need. No RSVP - just come prepared to introduce yourself as well as an anonymized version of your case/project questions for judgment-free and action-oriented group discussion. We can't keep up with ad hoc consult requests, so please save your questions and come to VAAP's weekly case rounds instead! THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Vermont Asylum Assistance Project  P.O. Box 814, Elmwood Ave, Burlington, VT 05402 802-999-5654 ‖ info@vaapvt.org ‖ www.vaapvt.org Copyright © 2025, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Donate to VAAP

May 23, 2025

Hundreds of Victories in as Many Days

View this email in your browser Vermont Asylum Assistance Project is a legal services and technical assistance organization that exists to mentor no-cost and low-cost immigration lawyers and legal workers; educate and serve immigrants and community members; maximize impact across sectors; and advocate to protect immigrants’ rights. www.vaapvt.org. FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Donate to VAAP Legal Wins. Legislative Victories. Local Momentum. This newsletter, we celebrate the ways VAAP has scaled up in every direction, from the courtroom to the community: ✅ 300+ individual donations to the new VT Immigration Legal Defense Fund. ✅ 3 Vermonters freed from ICE detention and co-counsel now on 7 more. ✅ Removal proceedings ended for a family of 4 asylum seekers. ✅ Pro bonos mentored to win asylum grants and green cards. ✅ New pro bono programs launched for bond, removal defense & VT DOC intakes. ✅ Biggest-ever summer & fall intern cohorts recruited. ✅ New contract staff hired to immediately expand direct legal services. ✅ Trained Vermont lawmakers on immigration issues impacting the State House. ✅ Dozens at imminent risk of deportation orders assisted with I-589 filings. ✅ Know-Your-Rights at Pride Center, Migrant Ed, and Bennington’s Multicultural Center. ✅Secured passage of S.56/H.375, S.44/H.298, and S.95/H.98, with key immigrant protections shaped by VAAP’s testimony and technical expertise signed into VT law. 📰VAAP in the news: AlJazeera, WaPo, CBS, CNN, WPTZ, WCAX, VT Public, VT Digger, and more cover launch of VT Immigration Legal Defense Fund to benefit VAAP. And on the litigation front: Migrant farmworker returns to Vermont after ICE release Judge orders Berkshire migrant farmworker released on bond Massachusetts judge orders release of detained Vermont migrant worker Federal immigration judge orders release of farmworker arrested in April Farmworker ordered released may return to Vermont in coming days Second detained VT farmworker released on bail 🏛️ Recognized at the Vermont Lawyers March as VT's foremost legal volunteer hub. 📰 Featured in VT Digger with Jay Diaz on immigration, free spech, and due process. 🔓 Growing accessibility and content of our multilingual, searchable self-help website. 💥 And thanks to the Legal Defense Fund’s launch, we’re building fast — new staff, new systems, same mission: keep families together, by bringing detained people home. TL;DR: We're holding the line and changing the tide. Working together, we've got this. 👉 Volunteer with us 👉 Get legal help 👉 Support the Fund Thanks for all you do! Jill Martin Diaz, Esq. Executive Director VT IMMIGRATION DEFENSE FUND This month, Mohsen Mahdawi joined State Treasurer Mike Pieciak, Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale, and community leaders to launch the Vermont Immigration Legal Defense Fund — a bold initiative benefiting VAAP and its partners to ensure no one in Vermont faces deportation, detention, or family separation without legal representation. Since May 8, over 300 individual donors have stepped up to contribute. The campaign aims to raise $1 million to expand immigration legal defense and build lasting support infrastructure for immigrant communities across the state. “Due process does not truly exist unless one has adequate legal representation... The federal government cannot be trusted to protect our neighbors, and it is on us to stand up for the Vermont values of fairness and justice.” — Mike Pieciak, Vermont State Treasurer “We are all less safe if families are forced to fight alone. Vermont can lead the way nationally in showing that we take care of our own, regardless of immigration status.” — Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale VAAP has already served over 300 individuals statewide since incorporating last year, and trained more than 100 Vermont attorneys to take on pro bono immigration defense. “We have the legal talent—what we lack is capacity. This fund will change that.” — Jill Martin Diaz, VAAP Executive Director With backing from the United Way of Northwest Vermont, donations to the Fund are tax-deductible and will support VAAP’s direct services and volunteer infrastructure. “United is the way we can uphold our commitment to justice and human dignity.” — Jesse Bridges, United Way of Northwest Vermont Review the international press coverage below: Student protester Mohsen Mahdawi unveils legal defence fund for immigrants (Al Jazeera) Mohsen Mahdawi, Columbia student arrested by ICE, helps launch Vermont defense fund (Washington Post) Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi joins Vermont immigrant legal aid launch (CBS News) Mohsen Mahdawi helps launch Vermont immigration legal aid initiative (CNN) Immigrant advocates launch legal defense fund for noncitizen Vermonters (Vermont Public) With support from Mohsen Mahdawi, state leaders launch immigration legal defense fund (VTDigger) Photo snapshot: Defense Fund launch event (Rutland Herald) Vermonters launch state's first immigration legal defense fund (WPTZ NBC5) Vermont leaders seek $1M for immigration law initiative (MyChamplainValley) Released Palestinian student helps launch immigrant legal aid initiative in Vermont (WCAX)  Read the full press release here. Donate to the Fund here. Support the Fund FOR ADVOCATES Every Tuesday morning VAAP hosts virtual immigration case rounds for two hours, focusing the first hour on legal service providers and lay service providers. Come when you can and leave when you need. No RSVP - just come prepared to introduce yourself as well as an anonymized version of your case/project questions for judgment-free and action-oriented group discussion. We can't keep up with ad hoc consult requests, so please save your questions and come to VAAP's weekly case rounds instead! Three Immigration Law Programs for Attorneys Eager to Help You Help Your Clients and Community 6/6/25 @ 10-11am -- Immigration Law 101: Immigration law touches every practice area—from family law to employment, criminal defense to municipal governance—but few Vermont attorneys feel equipped to answer basic questions for their clients. Join us for an accessible overview of the U.S. immigration system, with plain-language explanations of current hot topics, common client scenarios, and practical referral guidance. This session is designed for non-immigration practitioners seeking to better understand how immigration issues intersect with their work. REGISTER HERE FOR IMMIGRATION LAW 101. Speakers: Becky Fu von Trapp and Jill Martin Diaz, co-chairs of the VBA Immigration Law Section. 6/13/25 @ 10-11am -- Employment-Based Immigration: Employment-based immigration tools aren’t just for corporate clients. In this advanced session, we will explore how employment pathways can intersect with humanitarian cases and removal defense strategies. From leveraging work-based visas for clients in removal proceedings to creative alternatives to employment authorization, this CLE will provide practical insights for expanding your advocacy toolbox. Ideal for practitioners ready to think outside the box and collaborate across immigration law subfields. REGISTER HERE FOR EMPLOYMENT-BASED IMMIGRATION. Speakers: Becky Fu von Trapp and Jill Martin Diaz, co-chairs of the VBA Immigration Law Section. 6/16/25 @ 1-2:30pm -- Immigration Bond Practice 101: Vermont lawyers showed up in force at the Vermont Lawyers March—now take the next step in helping Vermont legal services attorneys in bringing detained immigrants home. ICE routinely detains immigrants facing removal proceedings for no discernible reason and strategically isolates detainees in faraway detention centers, hoping they’ll give up on their meritorious applications and defenses and instead opt to self-deport. Vermont legal services attorneys are fighting back—filing Immigration Court motions for custody redeterminations and winning release. This 90-minute practical training will introduce you to immigration bond practice: how to challenge ICE detention and help reunite people with their families while their immigration cases move forward in court. Join this time-limited, high-impact effort! No prior immigration experience required, and no obligation to take on the full case after bond. REGISTER HERE FOR IMMIGRATION BOND PRACTICE 101. Speaker: Jill Martin Diaz, VAAP, and additional VAAP attorneys. FOR COMMUNITIES TODAY AT THE STATE HOUSE! 📣 ACT TODAY: Help Pass Fair Housing Protections Before State House Recess! We did it with S.56 (Office of New Americans), S.44 (limits on ICE contracts), and S.95/H.98 (standby guardianships). Now we need your voice to get H.169 across the finish line before the legislature adjourns. 🏡 H.169 adds immigration status as a protected class in Vermont’s Fair Housing law — ensuring all families can access safe housing without fear or discrimination. 🟢 VAAP and partners helped shape and pass the immigrant protections in S.56/H.375, S.44/H.298, and S.95/H.98. Let’s make H.169 the next victory. 📍 Show up at the Statehouse today 📞 Call your lawmakers and urge immediate action on H.169 ✊ Together, we protect the right to live with dignity — no exceptions. Learn about VAAP's legislative victories this session here.  FROM PARTNERS ⚠️ Federal Impact Report Form Now Live How are federal actions—like funding cuts, executive orders, and policy shifts—impacting your organization and the communities you serve? VAAP is partnering with Common Good Vermont and other allies to collect vital data on the impact of federal changes in Vermont. Your input will help shape coordinated statewide advocacy and response. Also join VAAP at the next Common Good Vermont membership convening to continue building a collaborative approach to nonprofit resilience! 👉 Submit your response and share your story here. 🎉 Thursday, May 29 – Pride Gala!  Calling all Vermont partners: Director Jill Martin Diaz wouldn’t be here doing immigration legal defense work without access to insurance-supported, gender-affirming care. Period. That’s why they were proud to co-sponsor a Pride Center of Vermont Gala table in honor of Vermont Queer Law & Policy Professionals and VAAP and the communities that make our work possible. Come celebrate with us and remember: queer and trans joy is an act of resistance. Special thanks to comrade Phoebe Zorn and all the amazing Pride Center staff and volunteers for uplifting LGBTQ+ Vermonters every day. 🌈 Learn more about the Gala and join us. ⚾ Friday, June 6 – VAAP at the Ballpark! Join us at Centennial Field as the Vermont Bar Foundation partners with the Vermont Lake Monsters for a night of community, fun, and fundraising! 🧢 For every ticket sold through the special link, $4 goes directly to the VBF to support legal aid and access to justice. Bring your friends, bring your family, and cheer for a good cause. 🎟️ Buy tickets here. VERMONT LAWYERS MARCH ⚖️ Vermont Lawyers Rally for Rule of Law and Grassroots Legal Defense An estimated 500 to 1,000 attorneys marched up Church Street from the Chittenden Superior Courthouse to the federal building in a powerful show of unity. The rally featured a dynamic lineup of speakers including Harry Stark, ACLU; David Silver, Criminal Defense Attorney; Charity Clark, Vermont Attorney General; Dawn Seibert, Vermont Defender General's Office; and Elizabeth Shackelford, former Foreign Service Diplomat and Columnist. A majority of speakers urged colleagues to channel their passion into direct action for our most immediately impacted neighbors by volunteering through VAAP’s pro bono mentorship program to support immigrant detainees. Without individual legal claims, there is no due process litigation, and no structural change. We’re proud that VAAP and our partners were recognized for building grassroots defense capacity across Vermont. Catch up: Vermont Lawyers Rally for the Rule of Law in the Age of Trump (Seven Days) Vermont Lawyers March for the Rule of Law (News & Citizen) WCAX Video Coverage: Vermont Lawyers Rally for the Rule of Law THANK YOU FROM OUR TEAM Donate to VAAP   Vermont Asylum Assistance Project  P.O. Box 814, Elmwood Ave, Burlington, VT 05402 802-999-5654 ‖ info@vaapvt.org ‖ www.vaapvt.org Copyright © 2025, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

May 3, 2025

Join VAAP and VT Queer Legal Professionals!

View this email in your browser Vermont Asylum Assistance Project is a legal services and technical assistance organization that exists to mentor no-cost and low-cost immigration lawyers and legal workers; educate and serve immigrants and community members; maximize impact across sectors; and advocate to protect immigrants’ rights. www.vaapvt.org. TODAY 5/3 - VT LAWYERS MARCH TODAY, MAY 3RD Lawyers, legal workers, policy professionals, community advocates, and everyone in between are warmly welcome to join Vermont Asylum Assistance Project (VAAP) & the Vermont Queer Law and Policy Professionals (VTQLP) today at the VT Lawyers March for Rule of Law.   GATHER FROM 11:30AM  Meet outside Chittenden Superior Court for face paint and streamers show out for immigrant and LGBTQ+ Vermonters. We'll be selling merch to benefit Migrant Justice until the march launches at noon.   FROM ORGANIZERS 300+ Vermont Lawyers are marching to demonstrate their commitment to protecting the Rule of Law. Lawyers attending are encouraged to wear black or dark blue “courthouse” attire, comfortable walking shoes, and to bring signs related to the Rule of Law. March at noon from Chittenden Superior Court. 175 Main Street, Burlington. Lawyers and protestors will march north along Church Street to the Federal Courthouse on Elmwood Avenue, to a rally with speakers on the green at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, directly across from the Federal  Court. Speakers include Attorney Leslie Black, Emcee; Harry Stark, ACLU VT; David Silver, Criminal Defense Attorney; Honorable Charity Clark, Vermont Attorney General; Dawn Seibert, Immigration Attorney; Elizabeth Shackelford, Columnist and former Foreign Service Career Diplomat.   FROM VAAP As the Trump administration's efforts to centralize executive power surpass the 100-day mark, Vermont legal advocates are mobilizing to defend constitutional rights and marginalized communities. The Vermont Asylum Assistance Project (VAAP) and Vermont Queer Law and Policy Professionals (VTQLP) are uniting to highlight the experiences of immigrant and queer Vermonters. The event will feature the sale of Migrant Justice merchandise to support rapid response initiatives, along with face painting and streamers to visibly demonstrate solidarity. This activism coincides with International Workers' Day, May Day, and the Vermont federal court's release lof Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian Columbia University student and Vermont resident who was detained by ICE during his citizenship interview in Colchester. Mahdawi's case has garnered widespread support from Vermont lawmakers and civil rights groups amid escalating retaliatory immigration enforcement infringing upon First Amendment rights. Advocates stress that immigration law's insulation from judicial review has made it a testing ground for authoritarian policies, threatening fundamental rights such as due process and free speech for all. We will never have more power or opportunity than this very moment to stand up and fight back, so join us at the VT Lawyers March today. THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Behind the scenes, our direct immigration legal services continue. Thanks to our staff, board, pro bonos, partners, and generous financial supporters, we have filed dozens of new asylum cases this calendar year on top of all of the education and advocacy work profiled above. We are winning clients' work permits and green cards and bond motions, and getting removal proceedings terminated. We are meeting community members where they are at - from Northwest State Correctional Facility ICE custody to the Bennington County Multicultural Community Center - to make sure they have all the information needed to make the best decisions for themselves about their cases. Our legal work is helping Vermont immigrants to access initial asylum-based employment authorization documents, orders of release on bond, venue and address change motions, and more. They tried to bury us, but they didn't know we were seeds. Donate to VAAP   Vermont Asylum Assistance Project  P.O. Box 814, Elmwood Ave, Burlington, VT 05402 802-999-5654 ‖ info@vaapvt.org ‖ www.vaapvt.org Copyright © 2025, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

April 28, 2025

Building Stamina for the Long Road

View this email in your browser Vermont Asylum Assistance Project is a legal services and technical assistance organization that exists to mentor no-cost and low-cost immigration lawyers and legal workers; educate and serve immigrants and community members; maximize impact across sectors; and advocate to protect immigrants’ rights. www.vaapvt.org. VAAP'S TOP FIVE Catch up on VAAP's Top 5 updates for the week of 4/28/25 here! TAKE ACTION THIS WEEK   This week brings marches, hearings, and legal coordination work for Vermont's immigrant communities. Here’s what’s happening and how you can plug in: 🗓️ TOMORROW: Tuesday Mornings with VAAP. New, Simplified Case Rounds! Thanks to your feedback, we’ve simplified our case rounds schedule — no more alternating weeks or confusing changes! Starting now, every Tuesday on Microsoft Teams from 9-11AM: 🕘 9AM — Legal practitioners focus (attorneys, accredited reps, law students) 🕙 10AM — Lay advocates, volunteers, and community supporters focus All are welcome at either or both sessions. General information only, not legal advice. Intros on arrival and no personally identifying information for clients, please. Come when you can, stay as long as you can, and no RSVP needed! ➡️ Join the VAAP Tuesday Teams Meeting. 💬 As the National Lawyers Guild National Immigration Project (NIPNLG) remind us, building and engaging with communities of practice is the #1 way to ensure ethical, high-quality advocacy and to protect clients during this time. Thank you for helping us make immigration legal work more accessible, collaborative, and resilient! 📢 May 1: All Day Rally for Immigrant Rights with Migrant Justice Join workers and allies at the Migrant Justice May Day Action for dignity and human rights. 📍 Williston, Hannaford | 🕛 Picket 7AM-11PM, March at 5PM, Rally at 7PM ➡️ Rally details here ⚖️ May 3: VAAP Joins Vermont Lawyers March for the Rule of Law Calling ALL current and prospective VAAP attorneys and advocates! Join us for the Vermont Lawyers March on Burlington calling for fair and independent courts and immigration justice. 📍 Burlington, Chittenden Superior Court | 🕛 12PM ➡️ Vermont Bar Association details here and Vermont Lawyers March details here 🏛️ April 30: Statehouse Vote on Office of New Americans The Vermont House Committee on Government Operations is scheduled to vote on S.56 — to create an "Office of New Americans" equivalent to better coordinate immigration services statewide. 📍 Montpelier, Statehouse | 🕛 9AM ➡️ Committee schedule and info ⚖️ April 30: Federal Hearing for Mohsen Mahdawi A key hearing challenging Mohsen Mahdawi’s prolonged ICE detention will take place this Wednesday at the federal courthouse in Burlington. 📍 Burlington, Federal Building | 🕛 9AM ➡️ ACLU press release here 📚 Know Your Rights: Detention and Asylum Evidence Resources Thanks to VAAP's incredible UVM Social Work Department's Working With Refugees service learning students, there are many exciting updates to our multilingual education website for your review. Coming soon is a page dedicated to orienting people to what to expect during and after an ICE detention, such as: TRAC Immigration Quick Facts — Understand key detention statistics. IDP Know Your Rights with ICE — How to respond if detained. NIJC Bond Quick-Start Guide — What "bond" is and how to request it. Thanks also to VAAP board member Professor Sarah Osten and her UVM History Department Country Conditions Research Seminar students, VAAP is preparing standard evidence packets and other guidance to help people substantiate their claims on Form I-589 and get ready for the many asylum interviews and hearings getting scheduled statewide. We will publish the resources soon to assist both our clients and others navigating the process without a lawyer. New to "country conditions" evidence? See: ➡️ Villanova–UVM Country Conditions Research Database ➡️ National Immigration Project: Understanding Country Conditions Evidence. 📺Finally, watch VAAP's Top 5 video for this week here or above! Staying informed, showing up, and sharing resources has never been more important. Thank you for being part of this movement. With care, Jill Martin Diaz, Esq.  Executive Director 🔄 PS—Quick Recap: What You May Have Missed Last Week Staying in the Fight, Together: Recent weeks brought a wave of ICE arrests, confusing USCIS changes, and litigation whiplash. Our reminder: Pause, breathe, respond — don’t react. There are more immigration advocates than ICE attorneys — if we pace ourselves and work collectively, we can win.  New Resources Now Online: ▶️ Immigration 101 + Parole/TPS Termination Videos 🧠 FAQ Webinar on USCIS Registration Changes Multilingual legal education materials on our searchable website ➡️ vaapvt.org Non-detained Immigration Legal Help Access Streamlined: 📞 Call 1-800-889-2047 for routine (non-detained) requests for immigration legal assistance (LSV statewide legal intake line) or 📲 submit a partner referral at vtlawhelp.org/partners. 🏢 Alterantively, visit community legal help locations listed on our Get Legal Help page. More guidance soon on DETAINED immigration legal help requests as we align intake priorities across Vermont to meet growing needs equitably. Donate to VAAP DON'T WAIT. EDUCATE! Every Tuesday morning VAAP hosts virtual immigration case rounds for two hours, focusing the first hour on legal service providers and lay service providers. Come when you can and leave when you need. No RSVP - just come prepared to introduce yourself as well as an anonymized version of your case/project questions for judgment-free and action-oriented group discussion. We can't keep up with ad hoc consult requests, so please save your questions and come to VAAP's weekly case rounds instead! Join rounds REGISTER NOW. VAAP will join Migrant Justice and Pride Center Vermont for a FREE virtual bilingual Spanish/English Know Your Rights webinar on May 6th from 6:30-8:30PM focused on the rights and needs of queer immigrants. Register below! Register here Are you new to immigration law and unsure where to begin? Tune into a recent conversation between UVM social work department colleagues Cassie Gillispie, LICSW and Jill Martin Diaz, Esq. Social Work Lens podcast. Listen here And don't forget to check out another Immigration 101 podcast! VAAP's Jill Martin Diaz recently sat down with Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG) on VT's Voice. Watch now In search of more personalized Know Your Rights (KYR) training in person, online, or something in between? VAAP is available to bring our educational resources to you on a fee-for-service basis. Contact info@vaapvt.org.  Request training STATE HOUSE UPDATES Time is running short so let's keep up our efforts in the State House! Follow VAAP's advocacy work here and contact your representatives TODAY to support H.169 for fairer housing, S.44 for stricter VT-DHS contract limits, S.95/H.98 for queer and immigrant family planning, and S.56 for an Office of New Americans in state government. Catch up on VAAP's call to State House action in VT Digger here, and hear from partners about opportunities to think globally while acting locally on VPIRG's VT's Voice podcast here. Get involved THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Behind the scenes, our direct immigration legal services continue. Thanks to our pro bono volunteers and generous financial supporters, we have filed dozens of new asylum cases this calendar year on top of all of the education and advocacy work profiled above. We are winning clients' work permits and green cards and bond motions, and getting removal proceedings terminated. We are meeting community members where they are at to make sure they have all the information needed to make the best decisions for themselves about their cases. Our legal work is helping Vermont immigrants to access initial asylum-based employment authorization documents, orders of release on bond, venue and address change motions, and more. They tried to bury us, but they didn't know we were seeds. Donate to VAAP   Vermont Asylum Assistance Project  P.O. Box 814, Elmwood Ave, Burlington, VT 05402 802-999-5654 ‖ info@vaapvt.org ‖ www.vaapvt.org Copyright © 2025, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

April 24, 2025

Contact Your Legislators Today

View this email in your browser Vermont Asylum Assistance Project is a legal services and technical assistance organization that exists to mentor no-cost and low-cost immigration lawyers and legal workers; educate and serve immigrants and community members; maximize impact across sectors; and advocate to protect immigrants’ rights. www.vaapvt.org. ACTION ALERT!   ✊ Take Action Today: Protect Immigrant Rights in Vermont! Feeling overwhelmed? Unsure what to do? Want to make a difference right now? Two powerful, community-backed immigrant support bills are on deck in the Vermont Statehouse—and they need your voice today.   ✅ Take 5 minutes and tell lawmakers to pass H.169 – to stop housing discrimination based on immigration status and ban landlords from collecting unnecessary Social Security numbers. ✅ Take 5 more minutes and tell lawmakers to pass S.56/H.375 – to create a statewide Office of New Americans, ensuring coordinated services and combating disinformation. 📨 Contact your legislators and urge them to vote YES: Find your rep here » 🎥 Watch pr attend the hearings live today: House General & Housing Committee (H.169) House Gov Ops Committee (S.56) 📚 Get informed and spread the word: Rachel Batterson, Vermont Legal Aid's Fair Housing Expert, on her support for H.169 → Coalition letter for Office of New Americans → Full background → and the national bipartisan Office of New Americans State Network background →  🌍 Think global, act local. These community-driven bills are about dignity, safety, and justice for our neighbors. Let’s bring Vermont policy in line with our values—and the best practices from around the country. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Executive Director updates from Monday, April 21, 2025  🛣️Sharing strength and stamina for the long road ahead Greetings, friends of VAAP. We hope you're hanging in there. Recent weeks have brought a wave of high-profile detentions, misleading USCIS notices, litigation whiplash, and reports of legally unnecessary self-deportations. Our practice? Pause, breathe, and respond—don’t react. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Unjust detentions and deportations aren’t new to Vermont—and the government is counting on our exhaustion. But as the National Immigration Litigation Alliance reminded VAAP in a training last week, there are more of us—around 15,000 immigration advocates—than there are ICE attorneys—fewer than 2,000. If we pace ourselves, we can outlast them. With mindful resource-sharing, service coordination, and collective care, we can stay in this fight together for the long haul, and we can win. 🔍 Don't Wait, Self-Educate: Visit vaapvt.org. Now searchable! Get clear, community-oriented updates on what’s changing and how it impacts Vermont. Our latest posts include: ▶️ Video primers on immigration 101 and parole and TPS terminations. 🧠 FAQ webinar on the new USCIS registration requirement. 📅 Event announcements and legal education in multiple languages. 🔎 Get the Fastest Answers Online Got a specific question? Our newly searchable website is often the fastest way to get up-to-date, reliable info — even faster than we can offer 1:1 consults. If VAAP hasn't posted yet on a new or rumored change, it likely means experts are still working behind the scenes to build consensus on the best response grounded in law and policy. If you see a post by a national partner whose work VAAP frequently cites, know you can trust it! Review other sources with caution. 📅 Tue 4/22: Common Good VT's Nonprofit Legislative Day Join VAAP at the State House or online tomorrow, Tuesday April 22 for a day of nonprofit advocacy hosted by Common Good Vermont. VAAP will be: Testifying before the House Committee on Economic Development. Presenting on a panel with Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale and People's Health and Wellness Clinic director Dan Barlow on federal shifts & nonprofit response. 🆕 Need Immigration Legal Help? Contact this "Cold Line" We’re coordinating with state partners to streamline who to call for immigration legal assistance. Follow along on our website here. What we know so far: 📞 Call 1-800-889-2047, the statewide civil legal services intake line managed by Legal Services Vermont (LSV). Leave a message in any language and expect a call back with interpretation assistance available in any language.   📲Submit a quick referral webform to LSV if you are a fellow advocate or other community partner: https://vtlawhelp.org/partners.  🏢 Call or walk-in to a community-based organization with embedded immigration attorneys, listed on our "Get Legal Help" webpage.  ⚠️ What to Expect When Seeking Help We know the need is growing — and we’re growing with it. VAAP is training volunteer lawyers and building new systems to meet shifting legal needs, especially around detention defense, parole terminations, and complex filings. While our capacity is limited, we’re working hard to make sure our time and energy are used where they’ll have the greatest impact. With our partners, we’re setting clear intake priorities to promote equitable access to legally urgent, high-impact assistance. These guidelines are being coordinated with statewide civil Intake "cold line" coordinator Legal Services Vermont and immigration legal service partners — and will be published soon on our Get Legal Help page. Stay tuned, and thank you for your patience as we adapt to meet this moment. 🏛️ Legislative Advocacy: Evolving With the Moment As Vermont’s legislative session nears the finish line, VAAP is adapting our State House strategy in response to last week’s shifts in federal enforcement and judicial review—guided by national and local partners. We remain firmly committed to the community-driven priorities we brought into the State House: ✅ S.56 – Establish a Vermont Office of New Americans ✅ H.169 – Expand fair housing protections for immigrants ✅ S.95 – Clarify standby guardianship for immigrant families ✅ S.123– Reduce barriers to IDs and driver’s licenses ✅ S.44 – Heighten scrutiny of any VT-ICE contracts At the same time, we urge caution. In the wake of high-profile ICE arrests in Vermont, there’s growing momentum to act fast—but moving too quickly risks unintended harm. VAAP now advises measured support for efforts to limit VT DOC’s collaboration with ICE—only if they don’t restrict access to legal counsel or federal court review for detainees. We continue to back nationally significant litigation pending in D-VT thanks to partners like ACLU of Vermont. As a legal services provider taking part in a broader immigration justice movement, VAAP’s approach is to balance long-term system change with immediate harm reduction—keeping clients at the center, always. ✨ Coming soon: Diversifying pro bono opportunities to include training and technical assistance for motions for bond, reopening, stays, and habeas corpus. Evolving Know Your Rights presentations on a fee-for-service basis. Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) family and probate court mentorship for eligible abused, neglected, or abandoned immigrant youth. Follow along between newsletters at ➡️https://www.vaapvt.org/blog Thank you for staying with us in this work, and for trusting that sometimes slowing down is what lets us move forward wisely. Scroll down for events, resources, and more. In solidarity, Jill Martin Diaz, Esq. Executive Director Donate to VAAP PAROLE AND TPS TERMINATIONS  🛑 What to Know About Parole and TPS Terminations Federal courts are currently reviewing efforts to block the termination of humanitarian parole for people who entered the U.S. under the CHNV program or through a CBP One appointment. They are also weighing legal challenges to TPS terminations for countries including Afghanistan, Cameroon, and Venezuela. These lawsuits could protect thousands of people nationwide—including hundreds here in Vermont—but they underscore the fragility of temporary protections like parole and TPS are. Whenever possible, individuals with parolee or TPS should always explore pathways to permanence without delay. This month’s news about two Nicaraguan teens at Champlain Valley Union High School, who announced plans to self-deport after receiving parole termination notices, struck a nerve—and rightfully so. Their story illustrates the profound emotional toll of rapidly shifting federal policies and the precariousness of temporary protections arising under federal policy rather than federal law. While the fear is real, it’s important to understand that the parole termination notices' "deport yourself now or else" warning created a felt emergency—not a legal one. Parole and TPS are temporary permissions to be present, meant to bridge an under-documented person until they can apply for any legally available longer-term status. Options like asylum are always available to and remain available even after temporary protection ends. Remember there is no wrong way to seek asylum, and being under-documented is neither a crime nor does it prejudice your asylum claim. Unfortunately, the government’s use of frightening and misleading parole termination notices seems calculated to sow panic and discourage people from asserting their asylum seeking and other immigration rights. We’re grateful that the CVU story sparked awareness and action—and we want to help communities build long-term resilience in the face of these federal scare tactics. Knowing your rights and having access to trusted legal information can make all the difference when the next wave of policy whiplash arrives. 🗞️ Catch local coverage featuring VAAP’s legal perspective: Vermont Public WCAX VTDigger 🎥 Stay informed: Watch our Top 5 Parole Policy Changes video, also above. Watch our Deep Dive into USCIS Registration video, also below. 👉 Know your rights and share widely. Courts are listening—and so are we.  USCIS REGISTRATION 📝 USCIS Launches Form G-325R Registration Requirement 📝 Beginning this month, USCIS is requiring certain noncitizens to register using Form G325R, a major change rooted in archaic provisions of immigration law. While the government claims it's about "data collection," advocates warn it’s a backdoor surveillance tool with no clear benefit to registrants. 📚 Get the breakdown: USCIS Official Page American Immigration Council Analysis AILA Think Immigration Blog 🖥️ We covered answers to frequently asked questions in our latest USCIS registration webinar. Watch the recording linked above and share widely! 📢 Bottom line: This new process is confusing, fast-moving, and high-stakes, and courts might stop the government from implementing it. If you’re unsure whether to register, consult a trusted legal resource like the video linked above. 🕰️ Some are waiting until later in the 30-day registration period to decide on whether register, in case the courts stay the program in the mean time. UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN On March 21, 2025, the Trump administration abruptly shut down nearly all legal services for unaccompanied immigrant children, cutting off federally funded representation for over 26,000 children navigating the deportation system without a parent or guardian, including dozens of VAAP-represented youth. 🦾 There are no rights without remedies—so we sued. In response, a coalition of 11 nonprofit legal orgs—including VAAP—filed suit in CLESPA v. HHS, challenging the administration’s illegal move. On April 1, a federal judge issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), requiring the immediate restoration of services. 📌 They lag on TRO compliance—but the court isn't letting it slide. The TRO has now been extended through April 30, with hearings scheduled as we pursue a Preliminary Injunction and challenge the Administration's noncompliance. The Court has made clear: the Executive Branch cannot unilaterally strip children of their right to representation. ⚖️ VAAP stands proudly with our fellow plaintiffs. Thanks to your support, VAAP’s two IJC Fellows have returned from furlough despite losing 75% of their funding. We remain committed to fighting for Vermont’s immigrant youth in and beyond the courtroom. 📰 Read more: VT Digger Vermont Public WCAX NBC5 📄 Read VAAP’s filings: Affidavit in Support of TRO Supplemental Affidavit 💸Whatever happens, thanks to you, our staff are securely funded... for now! Donate today to sustain Vermont immigrant youth's legal defense. Every dollar helps! COMMUNITY EDUCATION Are you new to immigration law and unsure where to begin? Tune into a recent conversation between UVM social work department colleagues Cassie Gillispie, LICSW and Jill Martin Diaz, Esq. Social Work Lens podcast. Here's the teaser: "Are you wondering what is actually going on with Immigration in the U.S. right now? Are you curious about what these executive orders mean and how the system is ‘supposed’ to work? We are too! Join us as we speak with Jill Martin Diaz about immigration, and what social workers and helping professionals need to know." Listen here NOTE THE SCHEDULE CHANGE. Every Tuesday from 9-10:30am, VAAP hosts virtual immigration case rounds alternating focus between legal and lay service providers. Come when you can and leave when you need. No RSVP - just come prepared to introduce yourself as well as an anonymized version of your case/project questions for judgment-free and action-oriented group discussion. We can't keep up with ad hoc consult requests, so please save your questions and come to VAAP's weekly case rounds instead! Join rounds REGISTER NOW. VAAP will join Migrant Justice and Pride Center Vermont for a FREE virtual bilingual Spanish/English Know Your Rights webinar on May 6th focused on the rights and needs of queer immigrants. Register below! Register here REGISTER NOW. VAAP will join Migrant Justice and Pride Center Vermont for a FREE virtual bilingual Spanish/English Know Your Rights webinar on May 6th focused on the rights and needs of queer immigrants. Register below! Request training And don't forget to check out another Immigration 101 podcast! VAAP's Jill Martin Diaz recently sat down with Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG) on VT's Voice. Watch now STATE HOUSE UPDATES Time is running short so let's keep up our efforts in the State House! Follow VAAP's advocacy work here and contact your representatives TODAY to support H.169 for fairer housing, S.44 for stricter VT-DHS contract limits, S.95/H.98 for queer and immigrant family planning, and S.56 for an Office of New Americans in state government. Catch up on VAAP's call to State House action in VT Digger here, and hear from partners about opportunities to think globally while acting locally on VPIRG's VT's Voice podcast here. Get involved THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT Behind the scenes, our direct immigration legal services continue. Thanks to our pro bono volunteers and generous financial supporters, we have filed dozens of new asylum cases this calendar year on top of all of the education and advocacy work profiled above. Our legal work is helping Vermont immigrants to access initial asylum-based employment authorization documents, orders of release on bond, venue and address change motions, and more. They tried to bury us, but they didn't know we were seeds. Donate to VAAP   Vermont Asylum Assistance Project  P.O. Box 814, Elmwood Ave, Burlington, VT 05402 802-999-5654 ‖ info@vaapvt.org ‖ www.vaapvt.org Copyright © 2025, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

April 21, 2025

And Call Your Legislators To Support S.56 Today

View this email in your browser Vermont Asylum Assistance Project is a legal services and technical assistance organization that exists to mentor no-cost and low-cost immigration lawyers and legal workers; educate and serve immigrants and community members; maximize impact across sectors; and advocate to protect immigrants’ rights. www.vaapvt.org. FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR   🛣️Sharing strength and stamina for the long road ahead Greetings, friends of VAAP. We hope you're hanging in there. Recent weeks have brought a wave of high-profile detentions, misleading USCIS notices, litigation whiplash, and reports of legally unnecessary self-deportations. Our practice? Pause, breathe, and respond—don’t react. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Unjust detentions and deportations aren’t new to Vermont—and the government is counting on our exhaustion. But as the National Immigration Litigation Alliance reminded VAAP in a training last week, there are more of us—around 15,000 immigration advocates—than there are ICE attorneys—fewer than 2,000. If we pace ourselves, we can outlast them. With mindful resource-sharing, service coordination, and collective care, we can stay in this fight together for the long haul, and we can win. 🔍 Don't Wait, Self-Educate: Visit vaapvt.org. Now searchable! Get clear, community-oriented updates on what’s changing and how it impacts Vermont. Our latest posts include: ▶️ Video primers on immigration 101 and parole and TPS terminations. 🧠 FAQ webinar on the new USCIS registration requirement. 📅 Event announcements and legal education in multiple languages. 🔎 Get the Fastest Answers Online Got a specific question? Our newly searchable website is often the fastest way to get up-to-date, reliable info — even faster than we can offer 1:1 consults. If VAAP hasn't posted yet on a new or rumored change, it likely means experts are still working behind the scenes to build consensus on the best response grounded in law and policy. If you see a post by a national partner whose work VAAP frequently cites, know you can trust it! Review other sources with caution. 📅 Tue 4/22: Common Good VT's Nonprofit Legislative Day Join VAAP at the State House or online tomorrow, Tuesday April 22 for a day of nonprofit advocacy hosted by Common Good Vermont. VAAP will be: Testifying before the House Committee on Economic Development. Presenting on a panel with Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale and People's Health and Wellness Clinic director Dan Barlow on federal shifts & nonprofit response. 🆕 Need Immigration Legal Help? Contact this "Cold Line" We’re coordinating with state partners to streamline who to call for immigration legal assistance. Follow along on our website here. What we know so far: 📞 Call 1-800-889-2047, the statewide civil legal services intake line managed by Legal Services Vermont (LSV). Leave a message in any language and expect a call back with interpretation assistance available in any language.   📲Submit a quick referral webform to LSV if you are a fellow advocate or other community partner: https://vtlawhelp.org/partners.  🏢 Call or walk-in to a community-based organization with embedded immigration attorneys, listed on our "Get Legal Help" webpage.  ⚠️ What to Expect When Seeking Help We know the need is growing — and we’re growing with it. VAAP is training volunteer lawyers and building new systems to meet shifting legal needs, especially around detention defense, parole terminations, and complex filings. While our capacity is limited, we’re working hard to make sure our time and energy are used where they’ll have the greatest impact. With our partners, we’re setting clear intake priorities to promote equitable access to legally urgent, high-impact assistance. These guidelines are being coordinated with statewide civil Intake "cold line" coordinator Legal Services Vermont and immigration legal service partners — and will be published soon on our Get Legal Help page. Stay tuned, and thank you for your patience as we adapt to meet this moment. 🏛️ Legislative Advocacy: Evolving With the Moment As Vermont’s legislative session nears the finish line, VAAP is adapting our State House strategy in response to last week’s shifts in federal enforcement and judicial review—guided by national and local partners. We remain firmly committed to the community-driven priorities we brought into the State House: ✅ S.56 – Establish a Vermont Office of New Americans ✅ H.169 – Expand fair housing protections for immigrants ✅ S.95 – Clarify standby guardianship for immigrant families ✅ S.123– Reduce barriers to IDs and driver’s licenses ✅ S.44 – Heighten scrutiny of any VT-ICE contracts At the same time, we urge caution. In the wake of high-profile ICE arrests in Vermont, there’s growing momentum to act fast—but moving too quickly risks unintended harm. VAAP now advises measured support for efforts to limit VT DOC’s collaboration with ICE—only if they don’t restrict access to legal counsel or federal court review for detainees. We continue to back nationally significant litigation pending in D-VT thanks to partners like ACLU of Vermont. As a legal services provider taking part in a broader immigration justice movement, VAAP’s approach is to balance long-term system change with immediate harm reduction—keeping clients at the center, always. ✨ Coming soon: Diversifying pro bono opportunities to include training and technical assistance for motions for bond, reopening, stays, and habeas corpus. Evolving Know Your Rights presentations on a fee-for-service basis. Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) family and probate court mentorship for eligible abused, neglected, or abandoned immigrant youth. Follow along between newsletters at ➡️https://www.vaapvt.org/blog Thank you for staying with us in this work, and for trusting that sometimes slowing down is what lets us move forward wisely. Scroll down for events, resources, and more. In solidarity, Jill Martin Diaz, Esq. Executive Director Donate to VAAP PAROLE AND TPS TERMINATIONS  🛑 What to Know About Parole and TPS Terminations Federal courts are currently reviewing efforts to block the termination of humanitarian parole for people who entered the U.S. under the CHNV program or through a CBP One appointment. They are also weighing legal challenges to TPS terminations for countries including Afghanistan, Cameroon, and Venezuela. These lawsuits could protect thousands of people nationwide—including hundreds here in Vermont—but they underscore the fragility of temporary protections like parole and TPS are. Whenever possible, individuals with parolee or TPS should always explore pathways to permanence without delay. This month’s news about two Nicaraguan teens at Champlain Valley Union High School, who announced plans to self-deport after receiving parole termination notices, struck a nerve—and rightfully so. Their story illustrates the profound emotional toll of rapidly shifting federal policies and the precariousness of temporary protections arising under federal policy rather than federal law. While the fear is real, it’s important to understand that the parole termination notices' "deport yourself now or else" warning created a felt emergency—not a legal one. Parole and TPS are temporary permissions to be present, meant to bridge an under-documented person until they can apply for any legally available longer-term status. Options like asylum are always available to and remain available even after temporary protection ends. Remember there is no wrong way to seek asylum, and being under-documented is neither a crime nor does it prejudice your asylum claim. Unfortunately, the government’s use of frightening and misleading parole termination notices seems calculated to sow panic and discourage people from asserting their asylum seeking and other immigration rights. We’re grateful that the CVU story sparked awareness and action—and we want to help communities build long-term resilience in the face of these federal scare tactics. Knowing your rights and having access to trusted legal information can make all the difference when the next wave of policy whiplash arrives. 🗞️ Catch local coverage featuring VAAP’s legal perspective: Vermont Public WCAX VTDigger 🎥 Stay informed: Watch our Top 5 Parole Policy Changes video, also above. Watch our Deep Dive into USCIS Registration video, also below. 👉 Know your rights and share widely. Courts are listening—and so are we.  USCIS REGISTRATION 📝 USCIS Launches Form G-325R Registration Requirement 📝 Beginning this month, USCIS is requiring certain noncitizens to register using Form G325R, a major change rooted in archaic provisions of immigration law. While the government claims it's about "data collection," advocates warn it’s a backdoor surveillance tool with no clear benefit to registrants. 📚 Get the breakdown: USCIS Official Page American Immigration Council Analysis AILA Think Immigration Blog 🖥️ We covered answers to frequently asked questions in our latest USCIS registration webinar. Watch the recording linked above and share widely! 📢 Bottom line: This new process is confusing, fast-moving, and high-stakes, and courts might stop the government from implementing it. If you’re unsure whether to register, consult a trusted legal resource like the video linked above. 🕰️ Some are waiting until later in the 30-day registration period to decide on whether register, in case the courts stay the program in the mean time. UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN On March 21, 2025, the Trump administration abruptly shut down nearly all legal services for unaccompanied immigrant children, cutting off federally funded representation for over 26,000 children navigating the deportation system without a parent or guardian, including dozens of VAAP-represented youth. 🦾 There are no rights without remedies—so we sued. In response, a coalition of 11 nonprofit legal orgs—including VAAP—filed suit in CLESPA v. HHS, challenging the administration’s illegal move. On April 1, a federal judge issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), requiring the immediate restoration of services. 📌 They lag on TRO compliance—but the court isn't letting it slide. The TRO has now been extended through April 30, with hearings scheduled as we pursue a Preliminary Injunction and challenge the Administration's noncompliance. The Court has made clear: the Executive Branch cannot unilaterally strip children of their right to representation. ⚖️ VAAP stands proudly with our fellow plaintiffs. Thanks to your support, VAAP’s two IJC Fellows have returned from furlough despite losing 75% of their funding. We remain committed to fighting for Vermont’s immigrant youth in and beyond the courtroom. 📰 Read more: VT Digger Vermont Public WCAX NBC5 📄 Read VAAP’s filings: Affidavit in Support of TRO Supplemental Affidavit 💸Whatever happens, thanks to you, our staff are securely funded... for now! Donate today to sustain Vermont immigrant youth's legal defense. Every dollar helps! COMMUNITY EDUCATION Are you new to immigration law and unsure where to begin? Tune into a recent conversation between UVM social work department colleagues Cassie Gillispie, LICSW and Jill Martin Diaz, Esq. Social Work Lens podcast. Here's the teaser: "Are you wondering what is actually going on with Immigration in the U.S. right now? Are you curious about what these executive orders mean and how the system is ‘supposed’ to work? We are too! Join us as we speak with Jill Martin Diaz about immigration, and what social workers and helping professionals need to know." Listen here NOTE THE SCHEDULE CHANGE. Every Tuesday from 9-10:30am, VAAP hosts virtual immigration case rounds alternating focus between legal and lay service providers. Come when you can and leave when you need. No RSVP - just come prepared to introduce yourself as well as an anonymized version of your case/project questions for judgment-free and action-oriented group discussion. We can't keep up with ad hoc consult requests, so please save your questions and come to VAAP's weekly case rounds instead! Join rounds REGISTER NOW. VAAP will join Migrant Justice and Pride Center Vermont for a FREE virtual bilingual Spanish/English Know Your Rights webinar on May 6th focused on the rights and needs of queer immigrants. Register below! Register here REGISTER NOW. VAAP will join Migrant Justice and Pride Center Vermont for a FREE virtual bilingual Spanish/English Know Your Rights webinar on May 6th focused on the rights and needs of queer immigrants. Register below! Request training And don't forget to check out another Immigration 101 podcast! VAAP's Jill Martin Diaz recently sat down with Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG) on VT's Voice. Watch now STATE HOUSE UPDATES Time is running short so let's keep up our efforts in the State House! Follow VAAP's advocacy work here and contact your representatives TODAY to support H.169 for fairer housing, S.44 for stricter VT-DHS contract limits, S.95/H.98 for queer and immigrant family planning, and S.56 for an Office of New Americans in state government. Catch up on VAAP's call to State House action in VT Digger here, and hear from partners about opportunities to think globally while acting locally on VPIRG's VT's Voice podcast here. Get involved THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT Behind the scenes, our direct immigration legal services continue. Thanks to our pro bono volunteers and generous financial supporters, we have filed dozens of new asylum cases this calendar year on top of all of the education and advocacy work profiled above. Our legal work is helping Vermont immigrants to access initial asylum-based employment authorization documents, orders of release on bond, venue and address change motions, and more. They tried to bury us, but they didn't know we were seeds. Donate to VAAP   Vermont Asylum Assistance Project  P.O. Box 814, Elmwood Ave, Burlington, VT 05402 802-999-5654 ‖ info@vaapvt.org ‖ www.vaapvt.org Copyright © 2025, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

April 11, 2025

What We Know So Far

View this email in your browser Vermont Asylum Assistance Project is a legal services and technical assistance organization that exists to mentor no-cost and low-cost immigration lawyers and legal workers; educate and serve immigrants and community members; maximize impact across sectors; and advocate to protect immigrants’ rights. www.vaapvt.org. FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR   ⚠️ Immigration Policy Whiplash:  Here's What You Need to Know ⚠️ Federal immigration changes are doing exactly what they’re designed to do: sow fear, confusion, and chaos. But here in Vermont, VAAP is fighting back — in court, in detention centers, and in partnership with our communities. Today, we’re breaking down two major changes now under legal challenge: The termination of key Parole programs. The launch of a new USCIS Registration period. Changes are fast-moving, but so are we. Our legal interventions are bringing Vermonters home from ICE detention and keeping families together. Our advocacy is helping shape the record in federal litigation. We’ve got the tools, and we’ve got your back. More multilingual resources coming soon. In solidarity, Jill Martin Diaz, Esq. Executive Director, VAAP Donate to VAAP PAROLE TERMINATIONS 🛑 BREAKING: Parole Terminations Likely to Pause 🛑 A federal judge is expected to issue a stay in Svitlana Doe v. Noem — a major development that could temporarily block the termination of humanitarian parole programs for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans. This legal intervention could protect hundreds of thousands of people...for now. But here in Vermont, the damage is already being done: 📣 This week, two Nicaraguan teens at Champlain Valley Union High School publicly announced plans to self-deport rather than face deportation after receiving notice that their parole protections were terminating. These students could seek asylum, but the climate of fear and confusion created by tumultuous policy shifts is making that feel impossible for some. 🗞️ Catch the coverage featuring local immigration legal expertise: Vermont Public WCAX VTDigger 📺 Also review VAAP's Top 5 updates on parole policy changes, featured in the video above, and keep scrolling to watch us talk through parole-related FAQs in our webinar on the new USCIS registration rule, featured in the video below. 👉 Stay informed. Know your rights. Watch and share our updates. Communities are organizing and advocating, and the courts are listening. USCIS REGISTRATION 📝 NEW: USCIS Launches Form G-325A Registration Requirement 📝 Starting today, USCIS is requiring certain noncitizens to register using Form G325R, a major change that could affect future immigration benefit eligibility and tracking. While the government claims it's about "data collection," advocates warn it’s a backdoor surveillance tool with no clear benefit to registrants. 📚 Get the breakdown: USCIS Official Page American Immigration Council Analysis AILA Think Immigration Blog 🖥️ We covered key FAQs in our latest USCIS registration webinar. Watch the recording above and share widely! 📢 Bottom line: This new form is confusing, fast-moving, and high-stakes, and courts might stop the government from implementing it. If you’re unsure whether to register, talk to a trusted legal resource, starting with VAAP's April 11, 2025 conversation with Community Asylum Seekers Project (CASP) linked in the video above. Some are choosing to wait until later in the 30-day registration period running from today to decide on whether register, in case the courts stay the program in the mean time. FEDERAL ADVOCACY 🚨 EMERGENCY MOBILIZATION: Free Rumeysa Ozturk 🚨 📅 Monday, April 14 🕣 8:30 AM 📍 U.S. District Court, 11 Elmwood Ave, Burlington Join partners outside federal court this Monday to demand freedom for Rumeysa Ozturk, a student journalist and political prisoner targeted for exercising her First Amendment rights. Read VAAP's testimony submitted in support of Ms. Ozturk's litigation here. Ozturk co-authored a campus op-ed at Tufts University criticizing Israel’s war on Gaza and calling for divestment. In response, the Trump administration revoked her visa, arrested her, and transferred her to improper ICE custody in St. Albans, Vermont where she now faces detention and deportation. 📣 On Monday, April 14th, Vermont District Judge Sessions will hear arguments on whether Vermont courts — not Louisiana — will take up her case. Your presence matters. Show up. Speak out. VAAP stands proudly with our fellow organizational plaintiffs and counsel as we build momentum on our Temporary Restraining Order and file for an Preliminary Injunction in our impact litigation CLESPA v. HHS. The litigation aims to restore the national immigrant youth removal defense fund which the Executive Branch suspended and then cancelled last month. Thanks to your generous support, March saw VAAP return our two IJC Fellows to work from furlough despite losing 75% of their funding. Missed the furlough news?  Read the VT Digger coverage here Read Vermont Public coverage here Watch WCAX coverage here Watch NBC5 coverage here Read VAAP's affidavit in support of the TRO here.  Read VAAP's supplemental affidavit in support of TRO enforcement here. EVERY dollar helps! Donate today to sustain our removal defense services. COMMUNITY EDUCATION NOTE THE SCHEDULE CHANGE. Every Tuesday from 9-10:30am, VAAP hosts virtual immigration case rounds alternating focus between legal and lay service providers. Come when you can and leave when you need. No RSVP - just come prepared to introduce yourself as well as an anonymized version of your case/project questions for judgment-free and action-oriented group discussion. We can't keep up with ad hoc consult requests, so please save your questions and come to VAAP's weekly case rounds instead! Join rounds SAVE THE DATE! May 6th VAAP will join forced with Migrant Justice and Pride Center Vermont for a bilingual Spanish/English Know Your Rights webinar for queer immigrants. Spanish-language flyer coming soon! Click below to register. Register here STATE HOUSE UPDATES Our pressure is working, Vermont! Let's keep up our efforts in the State House! Follow VAAP's work here and contact your reps this week to support H.169 for fairer housing, S.44/H.298 for to end or at least limit VT-DHS contracts, S.95/H.98 for family unity, and S.56 for an Office of New Americans in state government. Catch up on VAAP's call to action in VT Digger here.  Get involved THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT Donate to VAAP   Vermont Asylum Assistance Project  P.O. Box 814, Elmwood Ave, Burlington, VT 05402 802-999-5654 ‖ info@vaapvt.org ‖ www.vaapvt.org Copyright © 2025, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

April 7, 2025

CLE tomorrow, plus litigation and legal service news

View this email in your browser Vermont Asylum Assistance Project is a legal services and technical assistance organization that exists to mentor no-cost and low-cost immigration lawyers and legal workers; educate and serve immigrants and community members; maximize impact across sectors; and advocate to protect immigrants’ rights. www.vaapvt.org. FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR   🚨 Big News, Big Moves — Don’t Miss This VAAP Update! 🚨 We’ve got a lot to share, and it's all worth your time. From urgent policy updates to today's immigration-employment CLE — here’s what’s inside: 🧠 CLE TODAY (4/7 @ 10AM ONLINE) — don’t sleep on this! 📌 Service coordination & education updates ⚖️ Litigation updates — from CLSEPA v. HHS to Ozturk v. Trump 📣 Bills we’re tracking + advocacy we're backing ✍🏽 Report out from National Day of Action in D.C. In solidarity, Jill Martin Diaz, Esq.  Executive Director Donate to VAAP LEGAL EDUCATION TODAY April 7th at 10am. Join VAAP on Zoom for continuing legal education (CLE) co-presented with union and employee-side attorney Tim Belcher, Paul Frank + Collins labor and employment practice director Kerin Stackpole, and Attorney General's Office civil rights division co-director Julio Thompson. This Vermont Bar Association event will cover employee issues including work authorization and work visas; employer issues like I-9 reporting requirements; and practical advice on the latest federal actions impacting immigrant workers. This is Jill's first VBA presentation since being appointed Immigration Section co-chair alongside business and family immigration attorney, Becky Fu von Trapp. Register here. Can't make it? Access NILC's workplace raids training recordings here.  Read VAAP's FAQs about immigration and work here. Read VAAP's Act 105 (2024) testimony here.  Watch VAAP and partners' February ICE & workplaces webinar here. Register here NOTE THE SCHEDULE CHANGE. Every Tuesday from 9-10:30am, VAAP hosts virtual immigration case rounds alternating focus between legal and lay service providers. Come when you can and leave when you need. No RSVP - just come prepared to introduce yourself as well as an anonymized version of your case/project questions for judgment-free and action-oriented group discussion. We can't keep up with ad hoc consult requests, so please save your questions and come to VAAP's weekly case rounds instead! Join rounds COMMUNITY EDUCATION SAVE THE DATE! May 6th VAAP will join forced with Migrant Justice and Pride Center Vermont for a bilingual Spanish/English Know Your Rights webinar for queer immigrants. Spanish-language flyer coming soon! Click below to register. Register here LEGAL SERVICE UPDATES This week, VAAP meets legal service partners AALV, USCRI, WISE, and CJRC along with state and federal reps and local litigators to strategize on unmet needs. With parole programs ending, USCIS registration launching, and defensive AND affirmative asylum starting to move, we need a concerted effort for equitable access to legal info and services statewide. NOBODY has to self-deport, including expiring parolees. Stay tuned for guidance! Gratitude to VAAP's Emma Matters-Wood, Immigrant Justice Corps Fellow, whose exceptional legal advocacy stopped a VT asylum seeker's illegal deportation and won their freedom from ICE detention. Immigrants should know that detention is NOT deportation. Immigrants HAVE rights to speak to a lawyer and be heard on any fear of returning. If detained by ICE, call Legal Services Vermont's hotline for help: 1-800-889-2047. We've presented tailored know your rights (KYRs) to impacted people at AALV and Spectrum Youth, and to providers of gender violence services, shelter services, education services, child and family services, and chambers of commerce. Next, we present to impacted queer immigrants and families supported by UVM Ext. Request a KYR at info@vaapvt.org. Watch an example KYR recording here. FEDERAL ADVOCACY VAAP stands proudly with our fellow organizational plaintiffs and counsel as we build momentum on our Temporary Restraining Order and file for an Preliminary Injunction in our impact litigation CLESPA v. HHS. The litigation aims to restore the national immigrant youth removal defense fund which the Executive Branch suspended and then cancelled last month. Thanks to your generous support, March saw VAAP return our two IJC Fellows to work from furlough despite losing 75% of their funding. Missed the furlough news?  Read the VT Digger coverage here Read Vermont Public coverage here Watch WCAX coverage here Watch NBC5 coverage here Read VAAP's affidavit in support of the TRO here.  Read VAAP's supplemental affidavit in support of TRO enforcement here. EVERY dollar helps! Donate today to sustain our removal defense services. Donate to VAAP Last week, VAAP joined family and business immigration lawyer Sidney Collier to represent the American Immigration Lawyers Association New England Chapter for an advocacy day with Vermont congressional delegates on Capitol Hill. We urged their continued support for common sense legislation in Congress, greater oversight of immigration processing and enforcement back home, and increased immigrant services leadership at the local level to combat harmful misinformation and champion the spread of reliable information. Learn more about Senators Sanders and Welch and Representative Balint and contact them directly here. Watch Rep. Balint feature VAAP in her February press conference on immigrant rights here.  Donate to VAAP VAAP joined regional partners in testifying in support of the ACLU MA's litigation Ozturk v. Trump. We Were grateful to share local context for DHS's failed attempt to isolate Ms. Ozturk from access to counsel and subvert her civil and constitutional rights. Vermont must not be used as a black box for illegal DHS activities. Follow VAAP's ICE tracker reports here and read VAAP's affidavit in support of Ms. Ozturk's habeas petition here. Support local measures to prevent DHS from coopting Vermont resources here.  STATE HOUSE UPDATES Our pressure is working, Vermont! Let's keep up our efforts in the State House! Follow VAAP's work here and contact your reps this week to support H.169 for fairer housing, S.44/H.298 for to end or at least limit VT-DHS contracts, S.95/H.98 for family unity, and S.56 for an Office of New Americans in state government. Catch up on VAAP's call to action in VT Digger here.  Get involved THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT Donate to VAAP   Vermont Asylum Assistance Project  P.O. Box 814, Elmwood Ave, Burlington, VT 05402 802-999-5654 ‖ info@vaapvt.org ‖ www.vaapvt.org Copyright © 2025, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

March 28, 2025

Plus, VAAP Joins National Lawsuit!

View this email in your browser Vermont Asylum Assistance Project is a legal services and technical assistance organization that exists to mentor no-cost and low-cost immigration lawyers and legal workers; educate and serve immigrants and community members; maximize impact across sectors; and advocate to protect immigrants’ rights. www.vaapvt.org. ACTION ALERT: JOIN US TUESDAY APRIL 1ST  Come to the VT Statehouse next week and support: Fair housing for immigrants (H.169) in the Cedar Creek Room at 11! Family unity for queer, immigrant families (S.95/H.98) in Room 1 at 2:30! But also, our lawsuit to restore immigration legal services at 1! You read that last point right: this week VAAP joined national nonprofit partners in suing the Department of Health & Human Services to restore legal services for unaccompanied immigrant children. The federal lawsuit challenges the government's most brazen attack on immigrant children since family separation. VAAP and partners are represented in this matter by the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, Immigrant Defenders Law Center, and Justice Action Center.  The lawsuit, filed against the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and other defendants, challenges the termination of services on Friday, March 21, 2025, for immigrant children who enter the United States without a parent or guardian, often fleeing persecution, trafficking, and physical or sexual abuse in their home countries. Pursuant to these programs, nonprofit legal service providers across the country, including VAAP, meet with unaccompanied children within days of their arrival in the U.S. to provide Know Your Rights presentations and legal screenings. They use puppets and cartoons to help children as young as toddlers understand what it means to be in immigration removal proceedings. They further represent them in immigration court and applications for affirmative relief and advocate for the children on aspects like their well-being and care. This termination means that 26,000 children risk losing their attorneys nationwide, and tens of thousands of others will not get any legal assistance. These programs have had bipartisan support for over two decades, as Congress has expressly recognized the unique vulnerability of unaccompanied children. Without these programs, immigrant children and babies will lose legal representation, leading to deportations and denials of relief without due process, on top of causing chaos and delays in the immigration system. The lawsuit aims to restore immediate access to these essential programs cancelled by the government, ensuring that unaccompanied immigrant children receive the legal representation and support that is their right. Organizational plaintiffs in the suit include Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, Estrella del Paso, Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA), Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project, Galveston-Houston Immigrant Representation Project, Immigrant Defenders Law Center, National Immigrant Justice Center, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network, Social Justice Collaborative, and Vermont Asylum Assistance Project. Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief Plaintiffs’ TRO/PI Motion and Memo Zoom Link: https://cand-uscourts.zoomgov.com/j/1603329440?pwd=OW1ZZWlZcklySHBMcStTVDZvZDJoUT09 Webinar ID:  160 332 9440 Password:  426303 AND please don't forget to email or call the House Government Operations Committee to support the Office of New Americans bill (S.56/H.375), being heard next week after passing almost unanimously through the Senate! They are trying to bury us but they forget that we are seeds.  In solidarity, Jill Martin Diaz, Esq.  Executive Director  Donate to VAAP   Vermont Asylum Assistance Project  P.O. Box 814, Elmwood Ave, Burlington, VT 05402 802-999-5654 ‖ info@vaapvt.org ‖ www.vaapvt.org Copyright © 2025, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

March 26, 2025

Rethinking Our Role in a Collapsing Direct Services System

View this email in your browser Vermont Asylum Assistance Project is a legal services and technical assistance organization that exists to mentor no-cost and low-cost immigration lawyers and legal workers; educate and serve immigrants and community members; maximize impact across sectors; and advocate to protect immigrants’ rights. www.vaapvt.org. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE When the Tools No Longer Work: Rethinking Direct Legal Services in a Broken Immigration System Disclaimer: Legal Information Only – Not Legal Advice. March 26, 2025 in  Burlington, VT — The Vermont Asylum Assistance Project (VAAP) is urging legal professionals, state leaders, and community organizations across Vermont to join us in rethinking how we respond to the changing landscape of humanitarian immigration law. Protections are still available, and rights still exist—but accessing them is becoming more complex, resource-intensive, and time-sensitive. To meet this moment, Vermont must shift our collective strategy while extending grace to the noncitizens navigating these broken systems and the service providers working within them. In recent weeks, we’ve seen significant disruptions in how immigration law is being implemented for noncitizens in Vermont: Agencies and administrative courts are rejecting filings on pretextual grounds, causing us to refile or abandon filing, undermining due process and delaying access to relief. Numerous parolees from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela living in Vermont are losing discretionary forms of temporary status wholesale without the legal support to explore alternative protections. Others' applications for family reunification and permanent residence are stalling indefinitely in the name of heightened security vetting. Agencies like IRS are threatening to share personally identifying information with ICE for immigration enforcement purposes.  ICE is exercising broad discretion to detain more people for the pendency of their removal proceedings in facilities nationwide and to stop Immigration Judges from releasing people back to Vermont on bond. Decades-old immigration laws are being resurrected from obscurity to facilitate enforcement of removals and to sidestep due process, including a renewed USCIS registration requirement due April 11th that carries serious civil and criminal penalties for noncompliance, and/or for any alleged fraud or willful misrepresentation in attempted semi-compliance. There were already too few immigration lawyers and legal workers serving Vermonters, and now we are facing federal divestment and being threatened with federal prosecution for providing legal orientation and zealous representation as professional responsibility compels us. Some immigration lawyers and legal workers need to pivot from focusing on direct services to appeals and affirmative lawsuits if Vermont is going to help immigrant communities hold the line but also redraw the map.  "We are not giving up - we are just getting real. The reality is that it now takes much more time, energy, and coordinated expertise for immigrants to access the protections they are still guaranteed under the law,” said Jill Martin Diaz, Executive Director of VAAP. “We’re not just filing to win—we’re preparing people to appeal, to wait, and to persevere through legal uncertainty and possibly ICE detention. There’s still a path forward, but we want to prepare people for the arduous journey.” VAAP’s legal fellows echoed this shift. "This is a long game," said Emma Matters-Wood, Immigrant Justice Corps (IJC) attorney-fellow. “We’re preparing cases knowing they may be denied at the outset and that litigation may be necessary to get a fair outcome.”  IJC attorney-fellow Cameron Briggs Ramos added, “Extended processing delays may mean policies change by the time a case is decided—maybe for the better, even—but delays may also mean long family separations, restricted freedom of movement, and discretionary ICE detentions in the meantime." Despite these challenges, VAAP is not standing still. Since November, we’ve worked nonstop to continue delivering zealous direct immigration legal services to dozens of low-income Vermont noncitizens statewide. We have also enjoyed early success in our efforts to diversify fundings sources, evolve our practices in step with national partners, provide evolving public education, and advocate for new state-level protections. Progress is being made, but the need for coordination and compassion is greater than ever.  We emphasize: applying for immigration benefits remains an important and viable step for immigrants at risk of removal—but it is no longer the final one. Delays and denials are likely. Appeals and federal litigation are becoming more common. Discretionary ICE Detention is possible. Some noncitizens may decide that delaying engagement with federal agencies wholesale is their safest choice while systems remain unstable. In the face of these changes, VAAP is committed to delivering Know Your Rights programming, pursuing strategic litigation, and representing those most at risk, but we ask the public and our partners for your continued understanding: our response times may be slower, our capacity stretched thinner, and our decisions more difficult as we balance legal ethics with practical realities. We are currently operating without dedicated paralegal, administrative, communications, IT, HR, or accounting support. We unfortunately lack the capacity to onboard new volunteers or staff at this time. We remain accountable to our current clients, our mission, and our profession—but we must prioritize risk management, harm reduction, and service equity above all else. To that end, we ask community members to help amplify our message that VAAP will continue to communicate all available updates to our current clients as quickly and clearly as we can pursuant to the Vermont Rules of Professional Conduct. For everyone else, including former and prospective clients, we will continue to publish accurate public-facing information with a goal of reducing the most harm for the most people as soon as we are able to vet and distribute it. The VAAP website remains the best source of information on what services we can offer at any given time and how to access them, www.vaapvt.org.  While we anxiously await state action on bills to create an Office of New Americans in Vermont (S.56 and H.375), we urge our partners to join us in shaping a coordinated statewide response rooted in risk assessment, harm reduction, and empowerment through education. That includes transparent messaging, coordinated litigation strategy, trauma-informed pro bono support, and deepened solidarity with Vermont’s immigrant communities rather than abdication. We believe Vermont can rise to meet this moment—and we remain hopeful that by working together, we can protect both the rights and the humanity of those who call this state home. Contact: Jill Martin Diaz (they/them, elle/ella), Executive Director Email: info@vaapvt.org Web: www.vaapvt.org Socials: @vtasylum ### Donate to VAAP   Vermont Asylum Assistance Project  P.O. Box 814, Elmwood Ave, Burlington, VT 05402 802-999-5654 ‖ info@vaapvt.org ‖ www.vaapvt.org Copyright © 2025, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

March 20, 2025

ONA Bill Sails through Senate!

View this email in your browser Vermont Asylum Assistance Project is a legal services and technical assistance organization that exists to mentor no-cost and low-cost immigration lawyers and legal workers; educate and serve immigrants and community members; maximize impact across sectors; and advocate to protect immigrants’ rights. www.vaapvt.org. VICTORY & VIGILENCE: A Win for VT's Immigrants—But "Registration" Looms They said we couldn’t do it. We did it anyway. Vermont’s Office of New Americans bill is advancing!!! 🎉 But we’re not done yet. Read on for today's opportunity to show up at RISPNET for more inclusive immigrant services coordination. Keep reading to preview USCIS's upcoming "registration" that risks criminal sanctions for noncompliance. More information coming from us soon. VICTORY: ONA BILL ADVANCES! 🚨 Action Alert: Let’s Keep Up the Pressure! 🚨 This is a huge win, but Vermont needs your voice to make sure this new state office truly serves all of Vermont’s immigrant communities equitably, humbly, and meaningfully, regardless of geography or language or arrival circumstances or status. Here’s how you can take action: 1️⃣ Keep the pressure on lawmakers. The bill still needs to pass! Tell your reps and committee members that this office matters. 2️⃣ Shape the future. While the legislature pushed for a smaller committee structure (VAAP isn’t on it!), the real power is in who gets consulted. We need broad input across employment sectors, immigrant service providers, and impacted communities. The State Refugee Office will convene the ONA Study consultation process. Now's a great time to let them know what matters to YOU! 📢 Next chance to make your voice heard? TODAY at the Refugee and Immigrant Service Providers Network (RISPNET) meeting! This statewide refugee providers’ forum is our chance to put immigrant community needs on the record. The State Refugee Office has played a pivotal role in seeing this bill advance by sharing compelling testimony about the gaps in services—let’s back that up with real stories and data. 📅 Join the RISPNET meeting at 9:30am! 🔗 Request the meeting link here Note that the ONA bill calls for a study and consultation process to make sure the new office works for YOU. The study period alone will benefit our organizations and communities through new connections and collaborations. Let’s make sure we widen the conversation and shape Vermont’s immigrant future together. 🔥 Let’s keep pushing! 🔥 Learn more. Sign on.  Catch up: Watch VAAP's interview with the VT Public Interest Research Group here Read the VT Digger coverage here Read Vermont Public coverage here Watch WCAX coverage here Watch NBC5 coverage here ⏭️Our next focus: support H.169's fair housing protections for immigrants!⏭️ 🏆Keep it up: a revised version of S.44's checks and balances on VT contracts with DHS sailing through to the House!🏆 The people united can never be defeated. In community, Jill Martin Diaz, Esq. VIGILENCE: USCIS "REGISTRATION" 📢 Upcoming USCIS Registration Requirement: What VT Needs to Know A major policy shift is on the horizon: USCIS is implementing a registration requirement for all immigrants who did not enter with a visa, and a requirement to carry proof of registration in public, at risk of criminal sanctions which could trigger immigration sanctions. While legal challenges are ongoing, experts believe the rule is likely to go into effect on April 11 as scheduled (American Immigration Council).  There are serious risks to registering, or not, that individual immigrants will want to understand before taking action (National Immigration Law Center). This change could dramatically impact Vermont’s immigrant communities - exacerbating fear, misinformation, predatory Notario consumer fraud, and strain on legal service providers, making it even harder for individuals to access protection. Review the USCIS materials on this new requirement here.  We recognize that: ✅ There are too few legal service providers to offer one-on-one consultations to every affected person about whether and how they register. ✅ Getting legal help for registration itself will be nearly impossible given our system’s existing capacity crisis. ✅ The stakes are high—and fear IS the strategy. Inspiring "self-deportation" is their goal, and nothing in this new policy abridges immigrant communities' rights to seek asylum or other relief! What VAAP is doing: 🔹 Working with partners, the state, and congressional leaders to ensure Vermont immigrants get accurate, timely information on what to do next. 🔹 Developing tools and Know Your Rights (KYR) resources so people can support each other in making informed decisions. We honor the fear and confusion this policy is creating. But we also want to reassure our communities: we are not powerless. By working together, we can prepare, share knowledge, and protect as many people as possible. 📢 Stay tuned for more guidance soon. In the meantime, spread the word and keep asking questions! THANK YOU! FINAL PLEA: Donate to VAAP   Vermont Asylum Assistance Project  P.O. Box 814, Elmwood Ave, Burlington, VT 05402 802-999-5654 ‖ info@vaapvt.org ‖ www.vaapvt.org Copyright © 2025, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

March 10, 2025

Support immigrants during VT Senate Hearings!

View this email in your browser Vermont Asylum Assistance Project is a legal services and technical assistance organization that exists to mentor no-cost and low-cost immigration lawyers and legal workers; educate and serve immigrants and community members; maximize impact across sectors; and advocate to protect immigrants’ rights. VAAP NEEDS YOU ON MARCH 11TH Even if federal immigration laws change for the worse, there is a lot Vermont can do at the state level to protect immigrant communities long term. Vermont Senate committees have scheduled testimony about three pivotal immigrant-impacting bills on March 11th: 10:00AM in State House Room 1: SB44 to create oversight of state contracts with federal immigration authorities. 11:15AM in State House Room 27: SB25-0841 provisions to protect immigrant families from discrimination in housing. 1:30PM in State House Room 4: SB56 to create state authority to coordinate immigrant services for ALL foreign-born populations, in addition to refugees, to maximize workforce integration outcomes. We need as many people as possible to show up for immigrant communities. There are many ways to show up: JOIN US at the State House to make our presence felt. No RSVP needed.  TESTIFY in support by emailing committee assistants and urging committees to pass the suite of bills:  nbiscotti@leg.state.vt.us for DHS contract oversight (S.44); hparker@leg.state.vt.us for fair housing (S25-0841); and gdacierno@leg.state.vt.us for state coordination (S.56). SHARE on social media and distribute this email to your networks! Want to learn more? Visit https://www.vaapvt.org/advocacy-state  Want sign on? Visit https://forms.office.com/r/cMwM4QhBsy Want to learn about the hidden costs to VT of our the status quo? Check out: Watch VAAP's interview with the VT Public Interest Research Group here Read the VT Digger coverage here Read Vermont Public coverage here Watch WCAX coverage here Watch NBC5 coverage here More anti-immigrant federal funding cuts are coming. Let's make sure the state has authority to bring service providers and businesses together to weather the uncertainty ahead. We've got this! See you tomorrow at the State House! Jill Martin Diaz, Esq. Support VT Immigrants Learn more how the national, bipartisan ONA State Network of 22 states benefit from Offices of New Americans equivalents with VAAP.  https://www.vaapvt.org/advocacy-state Learn more about the need for fair housing protections for immigrant Vermonters with Migrant Justice and with VAAP! Learn more about how VT contracts out corrections beds to DHS enforcement with Migrant Justice and with VAAP! THANK YOU FROM OUR TEAM Donate to VAAP   Vermont Asylum Assistance Project  P.O. Box 814, Elmwood Ave, Burlington, VT 05402 802-999-5654 ‖ info@vaapvt.org ‖ www.vaapvt.org Copyright © 2025, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

March 7, 2025

First SB56 Hearing on Tuesday March 11!

View this email in your browser Vermont Asylum Assistance Project (VAAP) is a legal services and technical assistance organization that exists to mentor no-cost and low-cost immigration lawyers and legal workers; educate and serve VT immigrants and community members; coordinate maximal impact across sectors and governments; and advocate to protect immigrants’ rights. Call to Action! Support SB56 & HB375 Join over 25 Vermont organizations and leaders in voicing support to create an "Office of New Americans" equivalent in state government!  Support the ONA Bills   Today, the following partners submitted a joint advocacy letter to lawmakers conveying the urgency of Vermont immigrants' unmet needs and the State House's low-barrier opportunity to help by passing the "ONA Bills" this session: ACLU VT Bridge to Rutland Central Vermont Refugee Action Network Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity Chittenden Asylum Seekers Assistance Network Community Asylum Seekers Project Connecting Cultures Haptic Pictures Migrant Justice VT/Justicia Migrante VT Northeast Kingdom Asylum Assistance Network Pride Center of Vermont Richmond Food Shelf & Thrift Store RoundTable Resolution Supporting and Helping Asylum Seekers and Refugees The Janet S. Munt Family Room Vermont Afghan Alliance Vermont Asylum Assistance Project Vermont Language Justice Project Vermont Queer Legal Professionals VLGS Latin American and Caribbean Law Students Association Winooski Working Communities Our voices are rising and lawmakers are hearing us. The Senate Committee on Government Operations has scheduled S.56 for a first reading and testimony on Tuesday, March 11 in the afternoon. Come celebrate with us! EVERYONE is invited to make a sign and join us at the State House on Tuesday afternoon in celebration of our incredible immigrant communities. Let's show up and make our support for more state leadership on immigrant services known! Contact interns@vaavpt.org, or see you there! Can't make it? Write the committee members and your representatives today: A legislated ONA-equivalent mandate would empower the state to better coordinate services and advocate for systemic solutions to the challenges our communities already faced. If we want to ensure that state-level work continues for refugees AND grows to include support for ALL immigrant communities in VT, let's support S.56 and H.375! Review our blog to get up to speed on how we got here (and some partners' early suggestions for more inclusive names for this office than "ONA," once the bill passes!). Our aim here is to get the state invested in facilitating sector-wide consultation as a first step toward greater equity across subpopulations. Want to learn more? Visit https://www.vaapvt.org/advocacy-state  Want your organization to sign on? It's not too late! https://forms.office.com/r/cMwM4QhBsy Want to learn about the hidden costs to Vermont of our current, uncoordinated landscape? Check out: Watch VAAP's interview with the VT Public Interest Research Group here Read the VT Digger coverage here Read Vermont Public coverage here Watch WCAX coverage here Watch NBC5 coverage here More anti-immigrant federal funding cuts are coming. Let's make sure the state has a mechanism for bringing us together to share in the work ahead! We've got this! See you Tuesday, Jill Martin Diaz, Esq. Support the ONA Bills FROM OUR TEAM Donate to VAAP   Vermont Asylum Assistance Project  P.O. Box 814, Elmwood Ave, Burlington, VT 05402 802-999-5654 ‖ info@vaapvt.org ‖ www.vaapvt.org Copyright © 2023, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

February 25, 2025

Creating Local Solutions to National Problems

View this email in your browser VAAP NEWSLETTER February 2025 Vermont Asylum Assistance Project (VAAP) is a legal services and technical assistance organization that exists to mentor no-cost and low-cost immigration lawyers and legal workers; educate and serve VT immigrants and community members; coordinate maximal impact across sectors and governments; and advocate to protect immigrants’ rights. FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Click here to watch a January 21 video message from VAAP. Watch the update Greetings, friends of VAAP. We hope you are hanging in there, and we thank you for your continuing partnership. To our client communities: We recognize how grossly insufficient Vermont's current supply of legal services is compared with communities' ever-growing needs. For that reason, we are balancing direct services with systems advocacy, so we can generate more local resources and legal protections for the benefit of ALL Vermont immigrants, not just the lucky few we can represent directly.  To our volunteers and financial contributors: We are overwhelmed with gratitude for your outpouring of support and explosive interest to get involved. VAAP will resume coordinating volunteer direct services this month, in balance with our critical efforts to diversify funding sources and survive federal divestment.  To our community partners: We are so grateful for your collaboration during this overwhelming time. Our sectors are navigating this period on "hard mode" given Vermont's lack of a nonprofit coordinating body, like Upstate NY's Immigrant Advocates Response Collaborative (I-ARC) or the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA). The challenges we are facing coordinating statewide across subpopulations is exacerbated by Vermont's lack of a state-based clearinghouse office enjoyed by about half the states, like MA's State Office for Refugees and Immigrants and NY's and ME's State Offices for New Americans. We are eager to work with you to establish statewide coordinating mechanisms that foster solidarity across subpopulations. To our leaders: We echo national partners' advice to exercise caution and verify information before sharing it forward. We also urge you to refrain from prematurely complying with evolving policy directives until agencies have established clear implementation plans. Many emerging policies are blatantly unlawful and likely to be overturned in court, or at least to face prolonged legal challenges. We need your leadership in centering rule of law and minimizing harm to communities. We pack a LOT of information into this newsletter, including self-help resources, recordings, FAQs, legislative analysis, events of interest, and more. We encourage everyone to continue familiarizing yourselves with VAAP's multilingual, multimedia resources and spread the word so impacted community members can do the same. Remember: we've been here before and we know how to fight, and we'll get through this. Read on! Thanks for all you do, Jill Martin Diaz, Esq. SUPPORT OUR WORK Every contribution, of any amount, keeps us focused on immigration lawyering at this pivotal moment in Vermont's history. We're a small staff of direct legal service providers working to meet ever-increasing demands without the help of administrative support. Join the fight against anti-immigrant censorship and austerity and donate to VAAP today. Donate to VAAP Besides donating, learn about VAAP's online resources and events so you can help others to help themselves. Check your sources before sharing information, and say no to doom-scrolling. Trust us to share reliable information as it becomes available. Volunteer with patience for slow response times and openness to new technology and workflows. Report an ICE Arrest Finally, help VAAP fight the harmful effects of misinformation. Yes, ICE activities are up in VT, but let's be clear about what they are so people aren't excessively discouraged from taking their kids to school, accessing healthcare, and generally participating in public life. We work to verify reported events before disclosing them on our website and with the media. Report what you see here and review our data analysis here.  FROM OUR WEBSITE Absent a state-based Office of New Americans equivalent to serve as Vermont's legal information clearinghouse, VAAP is growing the scope, content, and accessibility of our educational website, available in English, Spanish, French, Pashto, Haitian Creole, and Portuguese. Please join us in encouraging folks to visit our website as a first step for the best available immigration legal information at any given time: www.vaapvt.org. Get oriented This month, VAAP partnered with Community Asylum Seekers Project to present Know Your Rights to 150+ in Brattleboro. VAAP joined Congressperson Balint, Vermont Afghan Alliance, the Vermont State Refugee Office, and the Vermont Attorney General's Office for a Know Your Immigration Rights press conference. VAAP also joined Treasurer Pieciak, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility, and partners for an immigration rights and obligations webinar to a live audience of 1000 and an additional 800 YouTube viewers. VAAP delivered Continuing Legal Education (CLE) to 150+ at Vermont Bar Association's Mid-Winter Thaw Conference in Montreal. VAAP a launched service learning Working With Refugees course with 28 Bachelor of Social Work students at the UVM College of Education and Social Sciences. Read our blog In the State House, VAAP joined Vermont Judiciary Access to Justice Coalition colleagues in testifying before Senate Judiciary on the unmet civil legal assistance needs of low-income Vermonters. VAAP also joined partners in supporting a draft Senate Bill (long form forthcoming) to study the need for and create an Office of New Americans equivalent for Vermont. VAAP also signed on to Migrant Justice's draft House Bill (long form forthcoming) to expand fair housing protections for Vermont immigrants. VAAP also joined Vermont Queer Legal Professionals in presenting immigration legal orientation to Burlington's Worth Fighting For community organizers.  VAAP also joined Association of Africans Living in VT at Vermont Afghan Alliance to present Know Your Immigration Rights to VAA's client community. Follow VT bills VAAP continued collating local reporting on immigration issues from January and February. VAAP's work was featured in several local stories: Northeast Public Radio featured VAAP's remarks during Balint's immigration press conference. So did Burlington Free Press. Vermont Public featured VAAP on Vermont's safe schools movement. New England Public Media, VT Digger, and WCAX all featured VAAP's ICE Tracker. NBC5 covered Winooski's leadership in sanctuary school policymaking with support from Education Justice Coalition of Vermont partners including VAAP NBC5 also interviewed VAAP to clarify immigrant tenants' Fourth Amendment rights with ICE in and around their rental homes. VAAP also continued collate immigration law and policy updates and share analysis on key developments, including:  Local advocacy opportunities State advocacy opportunities Federal advocacy opportunities Family emergency planning Protecting immigrant youth Sanctuary schools Immigration and Work Temporary status What happens after applying for asylum Know Your Responsibilities in VT Expanded educational programming for lawyers and service providers Ethics and nonprofit compliance in uncertain times Myth-busting misinformation and disinformation STATE HOUSE 2025 Last week, VAAP had the pleasure of sharing subject matter expertise with lawmakers alongside Vermont Human Rights Commission executive director Big Hartmann. Vermont is fortunate to be represented by leaders who are open to exploring creative local solutions to intractable federal problems. VAAP is following the progress of several initiatives this legislative session: Senate Judiciary Committee's access to justice working group Draft Office of New Americans (ONA) equivalent study bill Draft fair housing for immigrants bill Draft State Grant Reform bill H.34 expanding state workforce development H.38 increasing Vermont Human Rights Commission staffing H.53 mandating inclusive schools policies S.44 and H.81 creating legislative oversight of Vermont agreements with immigration agencies S.1 expanding Medicaid to all residents S.2 establishing a Vermont Office of Health Equity S.8 expanding Dr. Dynasaur Medicaid for pregnant people up to 26 Anyone can contact your representatives to express support for these initiatives or offer testimony. Even a one sentence email does the trick! Contact your rep REQUEST OUR HELP We are now offering attorney-for-a-day legal help clinics in your communities statewide. To make these clinics successful, we kindly ask partners with preexisting relationships with potential clients to share the clinic workload. We hope partners will coordinate client attendance and meeting space, while VAAP handles legal and language access volunteers and supervision. Learn more. We are introducing a fee-for-service limitation around our community education work. VAAP Know Your Rights (KYR) now costs a $500 flat fee. This way, we can continue meeting VT's growing legal information needs, especially rurally, while balancing the ethical and fiscal demands responsibilities of delivering nonprofit legal services. Learn more. Get in touch ACCESS MENTORSHIP Fellow service providers: please hold your questions and join VAAP and a community of practitioners at our recurring virtual meetings for legal advocates and lay service providers. This month's legal case rounds are on 2/20 at noon and 2/25 at 9am. This month's community Q&A discussions are on 2/18 at 9am and 2/27 at noon. The National Immigration Project cites engagement with communities of practice as the number one way we can best support our clients and each other in the uncertainty ahead! Events calendar Community partners interested in mobilizing Rapid Response teams: The National Immigration Law Center (NILC) and the Tennessee Immigration and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) have launched a seven-part webinar training series on workplace raids resistance and response. Trainings are covering all facets of raids response from a power-building perspective and will be led by speakers with on-the-ground experience responding to workplace raids, including our experience responding to the 2018 raid at TN's Southeastern Provision meatpacking plant. FROM OUR TEAM Despite the unprecedented times we find ourselves working in, the VAAP staff and board have many milestones to celebrate this month: Staff secured initial employment authorization documents (EADs) or "work permit" cards to several VAAP clients. Staff also secured two clients with VAAP's first "green cards" or lawful permanent residence (LPR) documents! Staff also helped several youth in removal proceedings to get their next immigration hearings vacated pending resolution of their Special Immigrant Juvenile petitions in Vermont courts. Staff welcomed spring intern Eliza Gebb UVM '25 and spring volunteers Maggie Otto UVM '25 and Jacob Griffin UVM '25 to our team.  Staff also welcomed 14 history students and 28 social work students from UVM's spring service learning courses to help us expand our website and prepare country conditions evidence packets for VAAP asylum seekers. Staff also congratulated summer intern Phebe Lowry UVM '27 who was accepted into the VT Folklife Center's Community Fellows Program 2025, where she will be trained to conduct ethnographic research with VAAP's client communities in service of VAAP's public education and resource generation work.  The Board also interviewed five incredible candidates for our current vacancies.  We also continued to deepen our partnership with the Immigrant Justice Corps (IJC). IJC awarded VAAP its first ever Katzman Fellow in Catalino Londono VLGS '25 who joins the VAAP team for two years this fall. IJC is also featuring VAAP director Jill Martin Diaz as a panelist for its inaugural National Alumni Convening to which a national network of eleven classes of fellows are invited "to reconnect and feel the power of our community in defending immigrants." Remember: we've been here before and we know how to fight, and we'll get through this. Sending so much care and gratitude to all our client communities, partners, and allies.  Donate to VAAP   Vermont Asylum Assistance Project  P.O. Box 814, Elmwood Ave, Burlington, VT 05402 802-999-5654 ‖ info@vaapvt.org ‖ www.vaapvt.org Copyright © 2023, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.