May 26, 2026

Safeguarding our mission and making sense of the moment

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 VT immigrants and community members; maximize impact across sectors; and advocate to protect immigrants’ rights. Join us: www.vaapvt.org. 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 THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR On May 21, 2026, VAAP hosted leaders and legal advocates from Association of Africans Living in Vermont (AALV), Vermont Afghan Alliance (VAA), Vermont Legal Aid (VLA), and Vermont Law and Graduate School's Center for Justice Reform Clinic (CJRC) for a pilot VT Immigration Legal Services Roundtable to strategize on how we can better coordinate quality, accessible, and timely immigration legal intake processes statewide. Updates coming soon! 🛣️ Sticking Together and Staying the Course Greetings, VAAP community. We hope you're hanging in there. This issue of VAAP News is a roundup of what we are watching, building, and trying to make sense of together while keeping this message short to keep energy focused on the courts, where VAAP staff continue to litigate habeas corpus cases and win decisive judicial checks on ICE's illegal enforcement activities. We begin with the free Safeguarding Your Mission: Nonprofit Compliance training we're co-presenting TODAY 5/26 with Common Good Vermont, the Vermont Nonprofit Legal Hub, and the Vermont Professionals of Color Network focused on helping nonprofits protect their missions, assets, and compliance foundations based on lessons learned at VAAP. Registration is FREE. Join us! We continue with a Save the Date for the Hill Climb 4 Habeas on Saturday 6/6 with neighbor Dan Russel to benefit VAAP. VAAP staff and volunteers will take shifts tabling on Burlington's Depot St, slinging refreshments and responding to walk-up Q&A (general legal information only; no individualized legal advice, sorry). Come say hi and cheer Dan on during his 24-hour (yes, 24-hour) ride-a-thon up and down Depot St to raise $4,500 to support VAAP's habeas corpus litigation work. Support Dan's ride here. See you there! From organizer Dan Russel: "There are lots of different ways to protect immigrants. For me, this feels like a valuable way to check the power of law enforcement and ensure that they are also following the rules. [Habeas corpus] is a relatively simple petition to file which has immense power to return people to their communities after being unjustly detained." We follow with important community explainers about May 29th's annual asylum fee deadline; the new USCIS memo limiting adjustment of status processing; a preview of Vermont’s legislative session end; summer staffing updates; new training resources; and upcoming events not to be missed. We appreciate your grace with us during this season of organizational growth and are excited to be scheduling summer service days on site at many fundraising partners' rural community-based offices. Know that our year-end reporting and next-year plan are coming soon! In a hurry? Click a subject link to jump to the corresponding section, featuring relevant resources, referral updates, policy and practice developments, and more: For Your Calendar For Communities For Attorneys From the State House From Our Partners From the Media From Our Team Stay the course - if we stick together, we've got this. Jill Martin Diaz, Esq. Executive Director And P.S., please donate to the Vermont Freedom Fund, detained Vermonters' primary source of financial assistance for paying the exhorbitent bond amounts that immigration judges order as a precondition for their release from ICE detention.   Need an immigration lawyer in VT? vaapvt.org/help Need rapid response for an ICE emergency happening now? (802) 881-7229 (Migrant Justice) Report non-emergency ICE sightings and secondhand reports: vaapvt.org/icetracker Access Know Your Rights & Self-Help: vaapvt.org/library Donate to VAAP FOR YOUR CALENDAR Starting May 29, people with asylum applications pending for more than one year may now have to pay a new Annual Asylum Fee to keep their cases pending.Tthe government says it may treat some asylum applications as abandoned, rejected, denied, or dismissed if the fee is not paid on time. The fee is currently $102, there is no waiver, and deadlines may be short. If you have a pending asylum case, check the official USCIS or Immigration Court case tracking systems, pay fees owed online using the appropriate USCIS or Immigration Court payment system by the deadline given, and save proof of anything you pay. Seek help right away from a trusted community based organization if you are unsure whether to pay or cannot afford the fee. Get the word out by sharing these Vermont Language Justice Project videos: Watch and share these "Annual Asylum Fee" videos by the Vermont Language Justice Project to learn which key dates matter, when the fee may be required, and when your fee may already count as paid (based on how recently you filed and paid). On May 26 at 3PM, nonprofit leaders are welcome join us for a free nonprofit compliance workshop featuring VAAP director Jill Martin Diaz and co-hosted by Common Good VT and the Vermont Nonprofit Legal Hub, and the Vermont Professionals of Color Network. Hear lessons learned about nonprofit compliance in 2026. Check these upcoming de-escalation and operational security trainings, too!  On June 6, everyone is welcome to join VAAP in cheering on community member Dan Russell as he bikes laps on Burlington's famed Depot Street on to raise funds for VAAP! Specifically, Dan is riding in support of habeas corpus, the universal legal safeguard against unlawful detention and cornerstone of our due process rights. Stop by on the day to chat with VAAP staff, enjoy some refreshments, and hear about our recent case work. Support Dan's hill climb for habeas! On June 10, attorneys are encouraged to learn more about Vermont anti-discrimination law and the Human Rights Commission complaint process at this virtual continuing legal education (CLE) event from 1-4PM. Topics include fair housing, public accommodations, school-based discrimination, investigations, and enforcement actions. Register here to attend. On June 13, everyone is welcome to celebrate Juneteeth at the Fletcher Free Library from 6:15-8PM at a special concert featuring Jenni Johnson and the Jazz Junketeers. This interactive performance will celebrate the music of Black composers through jazz, soul, and community participation. Seating is limited, so please register here. On June 17, attorneys are welcome to join the Vermont Bar Association at Lucky You in Burlington for Intentional AF, an alcohol-free happy hour for lawyers featuring guided tastings of nonalcoholic spirits, wines, cocktails, and functional beverages. Learn about mindful drinking, ingredients like adaptogens and nootropics, and socializing with intention. On June 20, Burlington's Office of Racial Equity, Inclusion and Belonging's Juneteenth celebration will take place downtown from 11AM-9PM. Everyone is welcome to join us in honoring the history of emancipation, reflecting on the ongoing fight for racial justice, and uplifting the next generation in the pursuit of equity and inclusion. Learn more, and sign up to volunteer! On June 22, Vermont Bar Association attorney members are invited to join a free “non-therapy” group discussion from 12:30-2PM focused on collective care in trauma-exposed legal work. Designed especially for attorneys practicing without the support of a larger team, this fourth and final session of the series space offers an opportunity for community support beyond traditional “self-care.” On July 1, everyone is welcome to join the Vermont Judiciary in commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The Montpelier celebration will include a naturalization ceremony, historical exhibits, readings of the Declaration of Independence, educational programs, and community activities honoring Vermont’s history and democratic traditions. Learn more. On July 18, everyone is welcome to join Vermont musicians from 5-9 PM at Highland Center for the Arts for an evening of American folk songs and originals honoring traditions of freedom, civil rights, and collective resistance to benefit VAAP. Optional buffet dinner begins at 5PM and concert runs 7–9PM on the Main Stage. Huge thanks to VAAP Pro Bono Attorney Seth Lipschutz for fostering this partnership, to the Highland Center for hosting, and to all of the artists for convening for this powerful community arts initiative! Reserve your ticket today. Save September 25-27, 2026 for the Vermont Human Rights Commission’s second annual Civil Rights Summit! This event brings together advocates, attorneys, organizers, and community members for conversations on a range of pressing civil rights issues. Stay tuned for more information and registration details. Save November 5, 2026 for the Annual Justice Gala at Burlington Beer Company. Hosted by the Vermont Bar Foundation, Vermont Legal Aid, and Legal Services Vermont. Join the legal and justice communities as we celebrate efforts to expand access to justice with music, great food, and awards honoring outstanding advocates. FOR COMMUNITIES Reminder! If you need immigration legal assistance in Vermont, you can start by requesting a legal screening at vaapvt.org/help.  In coordination with AALV, VAA, VLA, and CJRC, VAAP helps connect people to the right support at the right time in a way that is structured, ethical, and responsive. The form is available in English and Spanish, with English written and video explainers at the link (more translations coming soon). Here are five key takeaways from our Community Case Rounds on 5/5:  Afghan SIV revocations are emerging as a major concern: Advocates discussed reports of the government revoking or withdrawing Chief of Mission (COM) approvals for Afghan Special Immigrant Visa recipients, with 120-day appeal windows. Vermont organizations are monitoring developments closely, though widespread impacts have not yet reached Vermont clients. Emergency preparedness for immigrant families should begin now: Participants emphasized the importance of proactive planning measures such as support letters and standby guardianship arrangements, especially for mixed-status families, even when asylum hearings may still be years away. Removal and asylum timelines remain highly unpredictable: Detained clients are often scheduled within weeks, while non-detained asylum seekers may wait anywhere from a few months to several years for hearings, depending on the immigration judge and docket. Obtaining identification documents for children remains a practical challenge: Advocates shared strategies for helping children on pending asylum applications obtain photo identification needed for work permits, including using school IDs, biometrics documentation, and consular-issued documents with attached photos. Demand for immigration legal services in Vermont continues to exceed capacity: VAAP and partner organizations reported that they are unable to meet all requests for assistance. Coordinated intake systems, detention screenings, and upcoming impact reports are helping organizations better understand unmet needs and plan future community legal services. Thank you for participating! Click here to register for our next Community Case Rounds on June 2 at 10AM. Deeper dive: Annual Asylum Fee or "AAF" May 29 Deadline🚨  People with asylum cases pending for more than one (1) year must now pay a new yearly fee to the U.S. government in order to keep their applications pending. This is called the Annual Asylum Fee or AAF. Starting May 29, 2026, the government says it can reject pending asylum applications if the applicant's Annual Asylum Fee is not paid on time. USCIS says people must pay within 30 days after USCIS tells them to pay. In immigration court, the deadline may be shorter, so follow the exact deadline in the judge’s order. The government requires one Annual Asylum Fee to be filed for each asylum application that's pending each year, not one fee for each family member listed on the same application.  For USCIS cases, this includes people whose asylum case was pending for the whole period from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025. It also includes people who filed for asylum after October 1, 2024, if their case is still pending with USCIS 365 days later. For immigration court cases, following the fee-payment schedule ordered by the immigration judge in charge of deciding the asylum case. The annual fee is $102 as of January 1, 2026. This is separate from the $100 filing fee for new asylum applications which started in 2025. The government may change the fee amount from year to year. The government does not allow applicants to request a waiver of the Annual Asylum Fee. If you cannot afford the fee, contact your local community-based service provider right away. Ask them to connect you with the Vermont and New Hampshire Asylum Support Network to see whether financial help may be available. Do not wait until the deadline if you need help. If your asylum case is with USCIS, pay on the official USCIS Annual Asylum Fee page at https://my.uscis.gov/accounts/annual-asylum-fee/start/overview.  If your asylum case is with the Immigration Court, pay through the Executive Office of Immigration Review ("EOIR") online payment system at https://epay.eoir.justice.gov. Follow any deadline from the judge. Save your receipt and give proof of payment to the court and the government attorney representing ICE. If you already paid a fee when you filed your asylum application within the last year, you may not need to pay the annual asylum fee right now. The annual asylum fee is different from the $100 filing fee for a new asylum application. The government says the annual asylum fee should not be charged until an asylum application has been pending for more than one year. If your case has been pending for less than one year, check the payment website at https://my.uscis.gov/accounts/annual-asylum-fee/questionnaire, but the fee should usually show as not due yet. If the website or a judge’s order says the annual fee is due, save proof of any fee you already paid and ask a trusted legal service provider for help before the deadline. In Vermont, you can ask for help by calling, emailing, or walking into your local service partner office, like CVOEO or AALV or requesting help at vaapvt.org/help. Reminder that if you do not pay the Annual Asylum Fee on time, USCIS may reject your asylum case. USCIS may also cancel your asylum-based work permit or reject a pending work permit application. In immigration court, the judge may deny or dismiss your asylum case. This decision could become final. Ready to learn more? Watch and share these VLJP instructional videos.  Read and share these ASAP community explainers.  If you missed the Burlington Police Commission’s hearing on fair and impartial policing following the illegal March 11 ICE action on Dorset Street, you can catch up here on testimony from VAAP's Jill Martin Diaz and Erin Jacobsen about the impact of immigration enforcement on Vermont communities (~01:00h).    On May 6, representatives from VAAP, VLA and the ACLU gave an update on all things immigration in Vermont at a brown bag hosted by AILA New England. In case you missed the live session, watch the recording here to learn from leading advocates what is happening in the legislature, in the courts and on the ground. In case you missed it, catch up here on the May 6 Know Your Rights training specifically for employers with Representative Becca Balint and the ACLU of Vermont, focusing on the constitutional rights that protect us all when interacting with ICE and other law enforcement officials. Caution! Organizations around the US are reporting scams targeting people with immigration concerns, including scammers impersonating legitimate lawyers and legal nonprofits by using publicly available information. Be cautious, protect information, and verify communications. Read more. The American Immigration Council has launched an interactive dashboard tracking USCIS backlogs and processing trends over the last decade. This tool shows where immigration applications are stalled and how processing times have changed across the system. The National Immigration Project has released a new resource on how to sue the U.S. government, offering guidance for advocates and practitioners navigating federal litigation. They will also be hosting a summer course on removal defense from late June through August 2026—apply by May 22nd. AILA released a new client flyer to help individuals avoid common errors when filing applications and petitions with USCIS, which can lead to delays or rejection. Taking a few extra minutes to carefully review materials can save time, money, and frustration. Be sure to share this resource with your networks and explore AILA’s client flyers, too. The Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition has launched a new interactive Executive Branch Tracker monitoring federal actions affecting immigrants’ access to healthcare, housing and other public benefits. The updated tool allows users to filter by agency and issue area. It also links to analyses, litigation updates, and advocacy resources. Reminder to check out these helpful resources for communities from trusted partners at the National Immigration Project, the National Immigration Law Center, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, the Deportation Data Project and the VT Language Justice Project: What Am I Signing When I Sign My Deportation Habeas Explainer & Pro Se Filing Instructions Community Alert: Immigration Arrests at Airports Know Your Rights: Bond Know Your Rights | Immigrant Legal Resource Center Observing and Recording ICE Arrests Data Explorer: ICE Detention facility locations Video Library: VT Language Justice FOR ATTORNEYS Key takeaways from VAAP's Attorney Case Rounds on 5/5, 5/12 and 5/19:  Detention and cross-border asylum issues Attorneys discussed detained clients seeking reunification with family in Canada after being turned back at the border. Key issues included the interaction between U.S. detention, Convention Against Torture claims, and Canada’s Safe Third Country Agreement exceptions for family members. Practical detention advocacy strategies remain critical, including advice to clients to unilaterally pre-sign G-28s in their family preparedness packet to facilitate attorney access if they retain counsel in the event of a detention; problem solving ongoing challenges with scheduling legal calls through detention facilities; and coordinating with regional partners such as PAIR and ILAP as ICE moves PCs out of our catchment area) NOTE: Review the Second Circuit’s recent decision in Cunha v. Freden, a major ruling rejecting the federal government’s attempt to impose mandatory detention without bond on millions of undocumented immigrants in removal proceedings. The court held that noncitizens who have long been living in the U.S. and are not currently “seeking admission” are detained under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), making them eligible for bond hearings. This decision is a major win in the fight against unlawful detention of immigrant community members!  Bond hearing litigation and detention-related federal court strategy Concerns remain that immigration judges may continue imposing high bonds or applying overly broad “flight risk” reasoning even after favorable federal court ruling ending mandatory detention (but permitting discretionary detention). Practitioners should continue monitoring rapidly changing litigation posture and preserving arguments where appropriate. Termination, administrative closure, and prosecutorial discretion Attorneys reported mixed outcomes seeking termination or administrative closure for clients pursuing relief outside immigration court. Relevant client groups include TPS holders, SIJS recipients, and clients with approved family petitions. Prosecutorial discretion appears to be increasing again in some cases, though outcomes remain uneven. Annual Asylum Fee practice should be treated like other administrative compliance issues (e.g. ICE OSUP, EAD renewals) Set long-term calendar reminders for AAF deadlines; do not rely on government notice, websites, or trackers. Use trusted secondary sources to resolve difficult deadline calculations, including ASAP. Be alert for unusually short deadlines from judges. Treat AAF and other government fee compliance issues like any administrative deadline matters: listen, refer, enforce boundaries, and make sure clients understand risks, benefits, consequences of nonpayment, and options for reducing harm by returning to compliance. For clients seeking financial help with government fees, refer to CASAN/VTNHASN and AALV; backup options include AALV walk-in/contact and CVOEO. Listserv updates validating local Immigration Court trends Mass master calendar hearings increase the risk of in absentia orders. BIA's Matter of VAB reflects erosion of domestic-violence-based PSG arguments; attorneys should preserve challenges to emerging adverse case law using constitutional and federal statutory arguments, while arguing that older controlling law still supports eligibility where appropriate. Practitioners should continue requesting remote hearings when appropriate, even if presumptive remoteness has been withdrawn by a particular judge or court. The Title 42 ban is in effect this month for Uganda, DRC, and South Sudan. SIJS deferred action and NTA risk require careful individualized assessment The group discussed whether SIJS deferred action is a “benefit under the Act” such that denial of a DA request could trigger NTA issuance under the February 2025 USCIS NTA policy. Relevant resources include the USCIS February 2025 NTA policy, ILRC guidance on deferred action for SIJS recipients, and USCIS Policy Manual Volume 1, Part I, Chapter 5. Benefits of concurrent SIJS/deferred action filing may include a one-time opportunity to access counsel, greater resource efficiency, and faster access to deferred action and employment authorization. Costs include possible increased risk of denial and NTA issuance, which must be assessed before filing. Questions to consider include whether the client is already known to the government, already in removal proceedings, the strength of the SIJS case, and whether heightened “extraordinariness” is present. Takeaway: to assess whether to concurrently file a DA request with a SIJS petition, seems like DA won't be adjudicated until the SIJS petition is, so Cs are already assuming some risk of denial and referral for removal proceedings with SIJS (any any USCIS filing - listservs reported a VAWA self-petitioner was referred on West Coast against the rules). Procedural and documentation issues  Attorneys discussed motions to reopen in absentia orders, biometrics delays, green card interview delays, work authorization issues, and challenges obtaining Social Security numbers or identification. SIJS and family court cases continue to raise service and documentation issues, including proper parental service. Increasing capacity for USCIS applications and interviews A held-over question asked about best practices when community members seek help with applications and supporting documents to extend U.S. stay, obtain a green card or protected status, seek asylum, or navigate other USCIS processes. Another held-over question concerned recent green card interviews for spouses of U.S. citizens with visa overstays, where USCIS officer Daniel Montgomery reportedly focused heavily on the noncitizen’s B1/B2 consular interview and application, declined same-day decisions, and recorded one interviews. Thank you for participating! Click here to register for Attorney Case Rounds today 5/26 at 9AM. VAAP highly recommends the CLINIC free newsletter as an excellent resource for immigration attorneys and advocates. The newsletter regularly shares timely legal updates, practice advisories, policy analysis, and practical guidance for navigating rapidly changing developments in immigration law and practice. VAAP also recommends Von Trapp Law's free newsletter, Immigration Updates, by Vermont Bar Association (VBA) Immigration Sector Co-Chair Becky fu Von Trapp. This is a great, local resource for both petitioner- and beneficiary-side employment and family pathways to immigration status. Subscribe here. VAAP is consulting Vermont Judiciary's Bar Counsel Michael Kennedy to help our nascent defense bar navigate thorny ethical questions safely. We always recommend his Ethical Grounds blog and its accompanying newsletter, This Week in Legal Ethics Mike Kennedy. Remember: the VRPC tell us what we need to keep our firms and clients safe! FROM THE STATEHOUSE Preview: Vermont Legislative Debrief Vermont is closing the 2026 legislative session with several important immigrant justice and civil liberties wins, and several reminders that systems change comes incrementally with compromise. VAAP will share a fuller debrief next month but below we offer an initial preview of the bills and themes we tracked most closely. Meanwhile, check out this recording of our May 6th legislative debrief webinar hosted by the AILA New England and co-presented with ACLU-VT and Vermont Legal Aid. This session showed what is possible when community pressure, legal strategy, legislative leadership, and sustained advocacy align. Vermont moved meaningful protections forward in areas including constitutional accountability, civil arrests in sensitive locations, school-based immigration protocols, and access to legal assistance. At the same time, some of the most important debates remain unfinished, especially around federal law enforcement accountability, privacy, surveillance, and the courage to legislate where federal law is still developing. A few highlights we will unpack in more detail next week: Budget and legal aid funding: A major victory. For the first time, Vermont advanced appropriations toward immigration legal aid ($200K toward 1.0 FTE attorney at Vermont Legal Aid). Any immigration legal assistance funding is worth celebrating, but the immediate and-longterm need remains much greater than the investment. Access to counsel is infrastructure, and Vermont should fund it like infrastructure. H.849 (Act 87), the Constitutional Accountability Act: Another major win. The law creates a state-law pathway for damages when government officials violate federal constitutional rights. This is an important response to growing concern about immigration enforcement and civil rights violations. S.209, Civil arrests in sensitive locations: A significant protection for schools, health care settings, libraries, polling places, places of worship, government buildings, and other essential spaces. Implementation and community education will be critical next steps. S.227, Immigration protocols in Vermont schools: A meaningful step toward giving schools clearer expectations and helping protect immigrant students’ access to education. S.208, Law enforcement identification and masking: Advocates pushed for enforceable identification standards that would include federal agents to unsuccessul results; read our joint statement here. S.71, Consumer data privacy and online surveillance: An important unfinished priority. For immigrant communities, data privacy is community safety. Commercial data, digital trails, and information-sharing can become ICE enforcement infrastructure. Our fuller debrief will look more closely at what passed, what changed, what remains unresolved, and where advocates may need to focus next. The bottom line for now: Vermont made real progress this session, but the next fights are already clear: federal accountability, privacy, access to counsel, school safety, and the willingness to lead at the edge of developing law. Huge thank you to the partners, advocates, legislators, community members, and partners who moved this work forward. FROM OUR PARTNERS Common Good Vermont has launched the 2026 Survey on Nonprofit Wages and Benefits, helping build the state’s only Vermont-specific report on nonprofit salaries, benefits, and workforce trends. Nonprofits are encouraged to participate and will receive a free copy of the final report (a $250 value), along with opportunities to win additional prizes! The American Immigration Council has released a new resource, outlining a more fair and humane immigration enforcement system. Organized around four core pillars — compliance, safety, proportionality, accountability — the report offers recommendations for reducing harm and more equitable enforcement policies. The Snelling Center is celebrating the 2026 graduates of the Vermont Leadership Institute, a nationally recognized program for emerging and established Vermont leaders. VAAP encourages partners interested in strengthening their leadership and community impact to apply — VAAP ED Jill Martin Diaz is among the program’s proud alumni! On July 1, Bridges to Health will transition from UVM Extension to  its new fiscal home, Vermont’s Free & Referral Clinics. For 15 years, Bridges to Health has played a vital role in connecting families to core essential services including quality legal information and no-cost immigration legal help. VAAP is excited to follow B2H in this transition and uplift their work strengthening critical outreach, education, and case support for noncitizens across the state! VAAP is excited to welcome to the Vermont Access to Justice Coalition new Vermont Legal Aid executive Director Alistair Deakin, with whom we've already begun collaborating to sustain the VAAP-VLA Community Immigration Lawyering Pilot. Read about the pilot here and read more about Alistair here. Welcome! We also recommend that you check out our partners' newsletters to stay up to date with what they are working on: Human Rights Commission USCRI Vermont National Council of Nonprofits Common Good Burlington's Office of Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging FROM THE MEDIA From The Vermont Cynic: “They’re not going to give us a chance to heal and feel better from what happened on March 11. They’re just going to keep doing what they do, terrorizing our communities and running our resources dry,” said Jill Martin Diaz, Executive Director of the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project." From NBC5: "The Board also heard from Migrant Justice and the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project (VAAP) on Tuesday. They were on Dorset Street that day, too. The advocate groups say ICE acted illegally that day and claim the city's Fair and Impartial Policing Policy was violated by local law enforcement on March 11. They want reform for next time. 'ICE is not going away anytime soon,' said VAAP's Erin Jacobsen. 'When they see us divided amongst ourselves, they win.'" Catch up on key immigration news from Vermont and around the country: St Albans ICE Protests: WCAX, Vermont Public, VTDigger, Vermont Business Magazine, NBC5 May Day Protests: WCAX Habeas Corpus: Vermont Public March 11 Law Enforcement Follow-Up: WAMC, VTDigger, Burlington Free Press, Boston Globe March 11 Protesters Won't Be Prosecuted: Vermont Public, VTDigger, Burlington Free Press, First Amendment Watch ICE Helmets Supplied by VT Company: Valley News, VTDigger Immigration in VT: VTDigger, WCAX, Brattleboro Reformer, WCAX, Vermont Business Magazine FROM OUR TEAM Heartful congratulations to outgoing staff attorney Leah Brenner on being recognized as one of the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association's 40 best queer legal professionals under 40 for 2026. Leah will be recognized at July's Lavender Law® Conference before finishing her VAAP work on July 31st. We thank Leah for her incredible VAAP service, and wish her well as she moves her public interest legal practice home to the Midwest. VAAP likewise extends heartfelt thanks to Liv Berelson whose time as VAAP's intake strategist has concluded so she can pursue law school. During her time with VAAP, Liv built and helped launch Vermont's coordinated intake system, strengthening access to immigration legal services and collaboration across the state. Thanks, Liv, and best wishes! Deepest gratitude also to outgoing Immigrant Justice Corps (IJC) Fellow Cameron Briggs Ramos, who subcontracted to VAAP for the past several months on data systems development from her new home in Florida. We thank you for spearheading our Unaccompanied Children removal defense practice in Vermont and serving as a core staff member from VAAP's earliest days. We love you, Cami! Speaking of the Immigrant Justice Corps (IJC), we thank IJC for selecting VAAP as its "legal services desert" demonstration site to pilot "rural infusion" models of fellowship investment. We were thrilled to host your study team's visit last week, especially since incoming IJC Fellow Aditi Kharod could join us! More on that soon! Finally, huge thanks to outgoing VAAP board member Chelsea Leigh Flucus, who director Jill Martin Diaz was lucky to study with at Brooklyn Law School. We thank you for your service, Chelsea, and wish you well! We encourage individuals interested in joining the VAAP board to contact info@vaapvt.org.  THANK YOU! From our newly grown and fearless team, thank you for sticking together with us and for staying the course. We've got this! 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 © 2026, 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.