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 VT immigrants and community members; maximize impact across sectors; and advocate to protect immigrants’ rights. Join us: www.vaapvt.org.
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FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
This month, Senator Welch and his Burlington-based team visited the VAAP Offices in Burlington's Old North End to lend support for resolving Vermont detainees' ongoing legal and language access barriers.
Many of us are holding heavy hearts as we witness the escalating U.S. war in Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA). We want to acknowledge members of our community who have family, loved ones, and personal ties to the region and who may be carrying fear, grief, or uncertainty right now. We stand in solidarity with you.
Moments like this remind us how deeply interconnected our world is. While we cannot resolve global crises from Vermont, we can stay grounded in the work before us: advancing access to justice here at home, regardless of a person’s country of origin, and ensuring that the rule of law applies to everyone—including federal agencies like ICE—through the oversight of our courts.
That commitment was part of the conversation this week when Senator Peter Welch visited the VAAP office, meeting with our team to hear about ongoing efforts to address legal and language access barriers affecting detained individuals in Vermont Department of Corrections facilities. We appreciated the opportunity to share how these issues are playing out on the ground and the collaboration, legislative engagement, and operations agreements VAAP and partners are advancing to ensure detainees' case outcomes turn on predictability, not luck.
We're also welcoming the reminders from early spring that sustaining this work also requires community, rest, and joy. As the sun begins to set later and the ice begins to melt (please, please melt!), we’re reminding ourselves that joy can be part of resistance, too. So we hope you’ll join us and put two events on your calendar focused on gathering and celebration:
🎉 April 10 at Higher Ground: Noche de Vibras Sin Ti presents DEBI TIRAR MAS FIESTAS, a latin music dance night donating a portion of the proceeds to Migrant Justice and VAAP. This happens to fall on my BiRtHdAyYyyy, so please come help me celebrate!
Keep scrolling for law, policy, and practice updates; resource and event alerts; and more.
In a hurry? Click a subject link to jump to the corresponding section, featuring relevant resources, referral updates, policy and practice developments, and more:
The National Immigration Law Center's Empower Communities series continues TODAY from 2:00–3:00 PM ET with a webinar on the impacts of heightened immigration enforcement on Education & K-12 School Settings.Click here to register.The following session in the series on March 25 will focus on enforcement and detention. Register here.
TONIGHT at the Flynn, All the Riverswill bring together more than 20 international musicians from 10 countries to celebrate the cultural richness immigrant communities bring to Vermont. Proceeds from the concert will support VAAP partner organizations Migrant Justice and AALV, thereby supporting Vermont's immigrant communities. Get your ticket here!
The Align Studio will host a special indoor cycling class on March 14 at 9:00 AM to fundraise for VAAP. Riders will enjoy an instructor-led workout using Stages bikes and silent disco headsets for an immersive experience, with optional speed and resistance drills suitable for all experience levels. Thank you for organizing this event and supporting VAAP’s work!
On March 16 from 12:30-2:00 PM, VBA attorney members are invited to a “non-therapy” group discussion for lawyers feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or isolated in their work. Designed especially for solo and small-firm attorneys, the group offers a space for connection and collective care for those who roll their eyes at “self-care.” To join, contact lwelcome@vtbar.org
The National Partnership for New Americans will host part 2 of its virtual training series on March 25 from 1–3 PM, focused on how community organizations can effectively support detained community members in today’s enforcement landscape. This session will offer practical guidance and tools for responding to detention and strengthening community-based support. Register here.
Common Good Vermontinvites nonprofit leaders, advocates, and changemakers to join Nonprofit Legislative Day on March 25 under the golden dome. This annual gathering brings together the nonprofit sector and includes guest speakers, small-group discussions, recognition of the sector on the House floor, and opportunities to connect directly with legislators. Learn more and register here.
Join us at the Vermont Bar Association Midyear Meeting on March 27 at Hotel Champlain. VAAP’s Jill Martin Diaz and Immigration Sector co-chair Becky Fu Von Trapp will co-lead a CLE on immigration, ICE, and workplaces updates as part of the day’s programming, with MCLE credit available. Register here.
Please join Justice After Hours, hosted by the Vermont Bar Foundation and Vermont Law and Graduate School, on March 27 from 4:00–6:30 PM at Hotel Vermont (Van Ness Room). This casual networking reception will highlight the VT Poverty Law Fellowship—including its upcoming focus on immigration work—while offering a chance to connect over refreshments.
VAAP will be joining VPIRG and other partners across Vermont at No Kings protests taking place around the state on March 28, speaking at the Montpelier and St. Albans rallies. Come join us to call for dignity, accountability, and protections for all members of our communities. To learn more about rally locations and times across Vermont, visit 50501 Vermont.
Switchboard will host a webinar on April 1 from 1:00–2:30 PM focused on communication strategies for service providers working with newcomer clients. Participants can earn 1.5 ASWB ACE-approved continuing education credits. Register here and, if possible, review this guide in advance of the event.
Join us at Higher Ground for Debí Tirar Más Fiestas on Friday on April 10 (doors 8:30 PM, show 9:00 PM), a high-energy Latin dance night, and celebrate VAAP Executive Director Jill Martin Diaz’s birthday! Proceeds will go towards VAAP and Migrant Justice, so come dance in support of Vermont's immigrant communities!
Join the Vermont Changemakers Summit, a free statewide gathering of activists and organizers, on April 11 from 9:00 AM–4:00 PM at Harwood Union High School in Moretown. The event will feature speakers, workshops, and opportunities to connect with advocates working on issues from climate and housing to democracy and public health. Register here.
FOR COMMUNITIES
Read below the key takeaways from VAAP's Community Case Rounds on March 10th, 2026:
Always keep your address information accurate in immigration cases. Some people are being advised not to update their address with immigration authorities, but failing to do so can violate court or USCIS requirements and may harm credibility later. Being honest about where you live and receive mail is generally the safest approach.
Unaccompanied children are often treated differently in the immigration system. Minors who enter the U.S. without a parent or legal guardian may be designated Unaccompanied Children (UCs). This status can provide certain procedural protections—such as not having to attend ICE check-ins and having a pathway to have their asylum adjudicated before USCIS instead of immigration court —and remains in place unless an agency formally revokes it.
Immigration law uses multiple age thresholds that affect rights and eligibility when considering age of adulthood. Different immigration benefits and rules apply at different ages. For example:
18 can determine when someone is detained in adult facilities and when certain family relationships (like stepchild status) must already exist.
21 can determine eligibility for benefits like being a derivative on petitions or Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS).
Asylum applicants need to track new annual fee requirements. For now, asylum applicants (both affirmative and defensive) are expected to pay an annual fee once their case has been pending for a year. Some practitioners recommend paying proactively—even without a notice—to avoid potential compliance issues, while keeping documentation in case corrections or refunds are needed. The initial asylum fee is $100 and the annual asylum fee is $102.
How to request a refund if you paid the wrong amount: print to PDF receipt of wrong payment, immediately pay the correct fee, print to PDF receipt of correct payment, then submit request to EOIR via email (EOIR.Court.Fees@usdoj.gov) for refund with both receipts.
People here on temporary visas who want to apply for asylum should be cognizant of needing to counter claims that they lied on their visa about intending to return. People in the U.S. on a temporary visa still have the right to apply for asylum, but they should be prepared to address questions about whether their original visa application suggested they planned to return home. One way to do this is by clearly explaining changed circumstances—either new risks in their home country or personal changes, such as realizing they are LGBTQ and could face persecution if they return.
Thank you to everyone who participated! Click here to register for our next Community Case Rounds on April 7 from 10-11 AM.
Resources joining the VAAP Resource Library
We’re continuing to expand the public resource library at vaapvt.org/library. Here are several community resources we highlighted in recent newsletters that we have added to it:
Vermonters can also train and join the Rapid Response Network, mobilizing thousands of volunteers by text.
Detention Watch Network Resources – New materials addressing ICE detention expansion, including toolkits, explainers, messaging guides, the Layers of Detention report, and campaigns to end family detention and urge Congress to cut ICE and CBP funding.
📚 Help us grow the library: Please email info@vaapvt.org with proposed additions or corrections, or to have your event featured in this newsletter.
Esperanza United is recruiting members for its 2026 Survivors Council, a paid opportunity for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, stalking, or human trafficking to help shape survivor-centered policy and advocacy. Council members will participate in policy discussions, review proposals, and engage with decision-makers from April–December 2026 (3–4 hours per month, $70/hour), with no requirement to publicly disclose survivorship. If you or someone in your network may be interested, you can reach out to policy@esperanzaunited.org for application information. Flyers available in English and Spanish.
FOR ATTORNEYS
Read below the five key takeaways from VAAP's Attorney Case Rounds on March 10th, 2026:
If USCIS asks for a document you already submitted, you can often just resubmit it. When responding to an RFE for something that was included in the original filing (like a joint sponsor Form I-864), it’s generally acceptable to re-upload the same document with a short cover letter explaining it was already provided.
Correcting small disclosure errors proactively can prevent bigger problems later. If something like a brief period of unauthorized work was accidentally left off an earlier filing (e.g., an asylum application), the safest approach is usually to disclose it clearly in the next filing and explain the correction, especially if it was already discussed during an interview.
For unaccompanied children released from ORR custody, living arrangements can change—but reporting obligations may still apply. A child does not necessarily have to live with the original sponsor, but practitioners should carefully review the release paperwork for any reporting requirements and ensure address updates are made with USCIS and any relevant courts when living arrangements change.
Immigration court strategy is increasingly focused on preserving issues for appeal. With grant rates dropping and appeals deadlines tightening (e.g., 10 days to appeal to the BIA), practitioners are emphasizing clear records, preserving arguments, and planning for appeals early in the case.
It is becoming increasingly necessary for practitioners to ask federal courts to conduct their own bond hearings in federal habeas cases. Because bond is increasingly being denied in immigration court even when a federal judge orders a bond hearing via habeas, it’s a good idea to ask the federal judges to conduct their own bond hearings in the habeas petition, arguing that requiring full exhaustion before immigration courts would be futile, and adding a request for ordering a bond hearing in immigration court only as a last, “in the alternative” request.
Bonus: If an attorney calls USCIS three times about the same issue, it will be automatically escalated internally.
Thank you to everyone who participated! Click here to register for our next Attorney Case Rounds on March 17 from 9-10 AM.
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) recently shared several resources to help legal practitioners prepare refugee clients for potential revetting and adjustment of status (AOS) interviews:
Last night, Senate Education unanimously passed S.227, a bill to establish statewide guidance for how Vermont schools respond to immigration enforcement, including limits on federal agents’ access to nonpublic school spaces and protections around sharing students’ immigration information. To learn more, read up on S.227 in the Rutland Herald, the Vermont Daily Chronicle and the Times Argus.
Meanwhile, we learned H.742—the House bill that would fund legal representation in federal immigration proceedings—will not advance this session. Nevertheless, advocates and legislative allies are urging lawmakers to support funding for immigrant legal services. Showing her support, Rep. Leonora Dodgetestified before House Appropriations last week to advocate for sustained state investment in immigration legal services. As always, public support in these matters is crucial, so our ask for you is to please contact your representative(s) and urge them to support funding for immigrant legal aid in the 2027 budget
In related news, Big Hartman, executive director of the Vermont Human Rights Commission, warned lawmakers the agency could lose federal funding for housing discrimination investigations just as complaints rise—leaving the state to decide whether to fill the gap. There are no rights without lawyers to enforce remedies! Read more here.
FROM THE MEDIA
Catch up on key immigration news from Vermont and around the country:
Arrests in Williston: Protesters won't be charged - VT Public
We want to end by thanking our incredible community. This newsletter once again reflects the many ways people are showing up for immigrant neighbors across Vermont—sharing legal resources and education, building mutual aid networks, organizing for change, and even creating spaces to gather through music, dancing and exercising together to connect and support this work. This kind of care and solidarity doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from people choosing, again and again, to support one another and to build the kind of community we want to live in. We at VAAP are deeply grateful to all of you who make this possible - thank you!
Thank you for partnering with VAAP to defend Vermont communities from authoritarianism and Vermont immigrants from state violence. Learn about volunteering at vaapvt.org/volunteer and donating at vaapvt.org/donate.
