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 changesnow 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
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:
📺 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.
🖥️ 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?
EVERY dollar helps! Donate today to sustain ourremoval 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!
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.
