September 10, 2026

Intake 2.0, important litigation updates, and more ways VAAP is pushing for change

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 DEPUTY DIRECTOR Greetings, VAAP community! I’m Devon Ayers, VAAP’s Deputy Director and Head of Operations, stepping into this space for the first time while our Executive Director Jill Martin Diaz takes a very well-deserved vacation. First, thank you for your patience with us in August. Closing general intake was not a decision we took lightly. It gave our legal team the space to focus on an extraordinary number of asylum interviews—you can hear more about what that experience was like in the latest episode of our radio programme Many Voices, One Vermont. It also gave us time behind the scenes to improve how people reach VAAP for help. As Jill wrote last month, the pause reflected the very real capacity constraints facing Vermont’s immigration legal services system. I’m therefore especially happy to say: VAAP’s intake is open again, and Intake 2.0 is live at vaapvt.org/help! Our new intake is dynamic, adapts questions based on the kind of help someone needs, and includes clearer explanations along the way. The goal is simple: make requesting help more straightforward for community members and advocates while giving our team better information to triage requests effectively. We’ll keep improving it as we learn!  Of course, a new intake form doesn’t change the challenging environment in which we’re doing this work. But the administration’s immigration policies are also being challenged at many levels—from community advocacy here in Vermont to litigation in federal courts. Last month, the ACLU of Vermont filed federal claims arising from the March 11 South Burlington ICE raid, alleging excessive force and unlawful detention. And we’re thrilled that VAAP Staff Attorney Bria Yazic has been selected as a 2026 Immigrant Justice Corps Federal Litigation Fellow. This year, Bria and the rest of our team will be exploring how we can make federal litigation remedies more accessible and scalable—building on lessons from efforts like the litigation surrounding Mohsen Mahdawi’s case last year. We’ve also seen an encouraging development at the national level: last month, a federal judge vacated the administration’s policy suspending immigrant-visa processing for nationals of 75 countries, finding that the policy exceeded the Secretary of State’s statutory authority. It’s one more example of the many ways advocates and communities across the country are working to challenge policies that restrict access to the immigration system. VAAP is also continuing to advocate outside the courtroom. Below, our Advocacy Director Erin Jacobsen shares more about that work, including a new settlement with the Vermont Department of Corrections. And finally: come march with us! This Sunday, September 13, VAAP will join partner organizations and community members for the Pride March in Burlington. Immigrant justice and LGBTQ+ justice are deeply interconnected: many of the people we serve live at those intersections, and everyone deserves the freedom to live safely and openly in their community. We hope to see you there! In a hurry? Click a subject link to jump to the corresponding section, featuring relevant resources, referral updates, policy and practice developments, and more: From Our Advocacy Director For Your Calendar For Communities For Attorneys From Our Partners From the Media Warmly, Devon Ayers Deputy Director Need an immigration lawyer in VT? vaapvt.org/help Need rapid response for an ICE emergency happening now? (802) 881-7229 Report non-emergency ICE sightings and secondhand reports: vaapvt.org/icetracker Access Know Your Rights & Self-Help: vaapvt.org/library Donate to VAAP FROM OUR ADVOCACY DIRECTOR Hi, VAAP community! I'm Erin Jacobsen, and I’m excited to introduce this new corner of our newsletter. In my role as VAAP's Advocacy Director, part of my work focuses on the bigger-picture structural and policy issues affecting our immigrant neighbors across Vermont. That can mean scrutinizing how state and local institutions interact with federal immigration enforcement, advocating for systemic protections, and working with partners to turn those protections into practice. This month, I want to share two examples of that work. A recent incident involving a Chittenden County sheriff’s deputy summoning Border Patrol to a routine traffic stop has led to the deportation of a Vermont farmworker. This came to light after Migrant Justice released public records relating to the incident. Governor Scott acknowledged that the actions of the sheriff’s deputy violated Vermont’s landmark Fair and Impartial Policing Policy, passed in 2024, which prohibits biased policing and the very kind of cooperation with immigration enforcement that occurred in this incident. Because the sheriff’s deputy was working under a cooperative agreement called Operation Stonegarden—a grant program that pays local law enforcement $50 to $80 per hour to assist federal agencies with border security operations—immigrant rights advocates and members of the public are once again calling on the State to cease participation in the program. Said Lia Ernst of the ACLU, “Vermonters have made clear time and again … that they do not want Vermont law enforcement aiding and abetting the work of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Stonegarden is exactly that.”  VAAP will continue working alongside our partners to address the concerns raised by Operation Stonegarden, and I will keep you updated here about opportunities to get involved in upcoming advocacy efforts. And we know that sustained advocacy can create meaningful systemic change. One recent example is an important settlement VAAP and our partners reached with the Vermont Department of Corrections, securing stronger protections around language access and access to legal counsel for people in detention: In late August, VAAP, the ACLU, and the Human Rights Commission (HRC) finalized an agreement with the Vermont Department of Corrections that settled a discrimination complaint around language services and access to attorneys for detainees. The agreement means that DOC must provide detainees held in Vermont correctional facilities access to language services and access to their attorneys, including for attending critical immigration hearings. As VAAP's Jill Martin Diaz explained, “the agreement advances critical and meaningful protections for ICE detainees at Vermont’s correctional facilities and helps see to it that people in detention can understand their rights, communicate effectively, and access legal counsel.” Part of the agreement also includes monthly monitoring and compliance meetings between VAAP, the ACLU, HRC, and DOC. We’re grateful to our settlement partners for a truly constructive process and for their continued engagement around access to the services that help ensure dignity and fundamental rights. The final settlement agreement can be found here. These are just two examples of the structural advocacy happening alongside VAAP's direct legal services. In future newsletters, I’ll use this space to share more about the policy debates, advocacy efforts, and systemic changes affecting our immigrant neighbors across Vermont—and the work VAAP and our partners are doing in response. FOR YOUR CALENDAR September 2026: 9/13: join VAAP at the Burlington Pride March at noon as we celebrate and stand in solidarity with our LGBTQ+ community. Find more information here. 9/17: The US District Court for the District of Vermont is holding an America 250 celebration at the Town Hall Theater in Middlebury. The theme is "What does freedom mean to me?" 9/23: Join Hunger Free Vermont and partners from across the state for the 3SquaresVT conference from 9am to 4pm  9/25-27: sign up to 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. VAAP will be speaking on the opening panel on coalition building, as well as another on legislative strategy!  Save the Date: 10/29: mark your calendars for this year's pro bono conference, hosted by the Vermont Bar Foundation. More details to come! 11/5: Annual Justice Gala at Burlington Beer Co. 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 Our new and improved intake form is live 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 more languages coming soon!  Here are key takeaways from our Community Case Rounds on 9/1/2026:  EAD renewals: Questions remain about current processing times, how far in advance to file renewals, and whether automatic extensions are still being granted. VAAP will investigate and report back at the next Community Case Rounds. Switching EAD categories: Some clients switching work authorization from parole to asylum-based EADs have received approvals quickly, though processing times remain inconsistent. Name changes: Clients seeking to update their married name on an EAD and Social Security card may encounter difficulties; one Social Security office requested documentation from a court or USCIS before approving the change. Detained clients: Community partners should submit an intake form for detained clients, providing as much information as possible even if some details are missing. VAAP will attempt to conduct a merits screening, though capacity for habeas representation is limited. Screening at NWSCF is currently happening every two weeks. Asylum cases referred to court: There have been reports of USCIS asylum cases being closed/dismissed without an interview and referred to immigration court by letter. Interview scheduling: Asylum interviews may currently be occurring through roughly annual circuit rides, though this is not guaranteed. Adjustment-of-status (I-485) interviews appear to be scheduled on a more rolling basis. Accidental voter registration: Questions were raised about how noncitizens who may have been inadvertently added to voter rolls can proactively protect their immigration cases, including whether they should obtain letters documenting the error. There is also a portal available to check voter-registration status. For further guidance, see below. Thank you for participating! Click here to register for our next Community Case Rounds on 10/6 at 10AM. ⚠️ Voter Registration Advisory The Vermont Secretary of State recently reported that, because of an administrative error with the DMV’s “motor voter” program, nearly 900 people were mistakenly registered to vote. Only U.S. citizens may register or vote in state and federal elections, and doing so as a non-citizen can have serious immigration and legal consequences. (Non-citizens may vote on local issues in Burlington, Winooski, and Montpelier.) If you are not a U.S. citizen and have received a Vermont driver’s license, please check to see if you were also registered to vote by searching for your name on the Vermont Voter Portal exactly as it appears on your license. If you find that you were mistakenly registered, act quickly: write to your town clerk requesting removal from the voter rolls and written confirmation once you have been removed. VAAP can assist with the process of getting your name off voter rolls and advise you about any additional steps to protect your immigration status. Request assistance through our intake form. 📍Medicaid Eligibility Changes Beginning October 1, 2026, new federal rules will significantly limit Medicaid eligibility for many non-citizens. Those who remain eligible include: Lawful Permanent Residents (green card holders) COFA migrants (citizens of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, and Palau) Cuban and Haitian entrants all children under 21 and pregnant people regardless of immigration status Many other immigrants—including refugees, asylees, and people with certain humanitarian statuses—will no longer qualify. Some green card holders may also face a five-year waiting period before they are eligible for Medicaid, although exceptions to the 5-year waiting period apply for many who obtained their lawful permanent residence through a humanitarian status. The State of Vermont is sending notices to people who may be affected. If you receive a notice, please read it carefully and follow the instructions provided. More information, multilingual resources, and a video are available through the Department of Vermont Health Access, Vermont Legal Aid and the Vermont Language Justice Project. For questions about your eligibility, you can also call the Office of the Health Care Advocate at 800-917-7787. ⚠️ "Notario" Fraud Warning Scammers are increasingly using AI to impersonate real immigration attorneys, creating convincing websites, ads, social media accounts, and even videos to steal money and personal information. Before paying for legal services, verify that an attorney is licensed and independently confirm their contact information. Be especially wary of anyone guaranteeing immigration results or pressuring you to pay quickly. Please share this warning with your communities. 📍New Community Explainers What You Need to Know Now About Public Charge Termination of TPS for Haitians Traveling on “advance parole” Solidarity Guide for Defending Immigrant Communities FOR ATTORNEYS Here are the key takeaways from VAAP's Attorney Case Rounds over the last month: Immigration court scheduling and notice remain highly unpredictable. MCHs and individual hearings continue to be cancelled, vacated, rescheduled, or advanced—sometimes by a year or more and with little notice. Monitor ECAS closely and carefully review certificates of service. Attorneys are documenting apparent failures of service and in absentia orders to demonstrate a broader pattern. Hold DHS to its burden and court deadlines. One recent motion to terminate was granted without prejudice after DHS failed to submit evidence of removability within the judge’s deadline. Consider contesting removability and objecting to DHS evidence where appropriate to preserve issues in the record. Several USCIS forms are changing with no grace period. I-765 changes September 15, I-485 September 16, and I-864 has already changed. Make sure you are using the correct edition at filing.  FOIA requests continue to be difficult. Attorneys reported problems filing USCIS FOIAs on behalf of clients even with G-28s/releases. Filing with the client as requestor may help in some cases. For EOIR records, attorneys reported that E-59 requests have been considerably faster. For CBP/entry information, consider requesting the I-213 or A-file, though delays may be significant; congressional assistance may also be worth exploring. Start gathering AOS materials early. This can include scheduling the civil-surgeon exam, which may take time, and obtaining government records where past admissions or other issues need to be clarified. Continue following form instructions closely to minimize avoidable rejection or denial risks. Marriage-based I-485 interviews require careful preparation. Bring originals and relationship evidence and prepare clients for detailed questioning and possible separation. Recent Vermont experiences have included successful interviews, though officer practices remain variable. Asylees adjusting status must pay the I-485 fee, but fee waivers remain available; the group previously noted that asylees adjusting status are not subject to public charge. Green card name changes: An I-90 can be used to change a name on a green card, but attorneys should weigh the filing fee and processing time against waiting to request a name change during naturalization. Online filing may provide a more reliable receipt than paper filing. SIJS remains worth pursuing despite uncertainty and long waits. Be cautious about dissolving a guardianship immediately after an SIJS grant, as doing so could create questions about whether the guardianship was established solely for immigration purposes. Document barriers to attorney access for detained clients. Attorneys have reported significant difficulties communicating with clients detained at Plymouth, MA; continue documenting access problems and pursuing confidential attorney-call procedures. Thank you for participating! Click here to register for the next Attorney Case Rounds on 9/15 at 9AM. 📍Proposed Changes to Naturalisation Fees USCIS is proposing to raise N-400 naturalization fees by up to 80% while eliminating reduced fees and fee waivers—putting citizenship further out of reach for many low-income applicants. VAAP submitted a public comment urging USCIS to withdraw the proposal and preserve meaningful access to citizenship. A big thank you to pro bono attorney Catherine Warden for drafting VAAP’s comment! Interested in supporting VAAP with research, public comments, or similar pro bono projects? Reach out to info@vaapvt.org. FROM OUR PARTNERS 📍Support SRD Haiti Julia Pupko, a local activist who played an important role in securing the recent release of a community member detained in Vermont, is asking for our community’s support. Julia is involved with SRD Haiti, a nonprofit supporting reforestation and education in Haiti, which is currently at risk of losing its nonprofit status without increased public support. If you’re able, please consider making a donation and supporting their work. 📍Welcome, PJC! We’re delighted to welcome the Peace & Justice Center (PJC) to our office building at 12–22 North Street in Burlington! We’re excited to have another organization committed to justice and community under the same roof. FROM THE MEDIA From VT Public: "Jill Martin Diaz, VAAP’s executive director, said in a written statement the agreement “advances critical and meaningful protections.” “Because of this collaborative approach to ensuring both language access and access to attorneys, VAAP legal staff and volunteers will be able to continue providing legal assistance to ICE detainees, just as we did this past year, meeting with dozens of individuals and securing release from unlawful ICE detention for several more,” Martin Diaz said." See below for further updates about immigration in Vermont and beyond:  VT Law Enforcement's Collaboration with ICE: VTDigger, Burlington Free Press, WPTZ, Addison Independent, Seven Days Settlement with VDOC: VTDigger, Seven Days, WPTZ Steven Tendo: WCAX, WPTZ VT Afghan Alliance Loses Funding: WCAX Clergy Arrested at ICE Protest: Word&Way, Episcopal News Service, Valley News, WPTZ Lawsuit Over In-State Tuition for Immigrants: New York Times, Latin Times ICE plans to use electric shock gloves: Vermont Public, WCAX ICE arrests at record high: ABC22 THANK YOU! A heartfelt thank you to our community for your patience with us in August—and for all the ways you continue to show up: Whether you’re speaking out against harmful policies or organizing benefit concerts that bring people together, your care, persistence, and creativity sustain this work. We’re so grateful to be in community with 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 © 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.