This post contains links shared and resources referenced during the January 14, 2026 Legal Working Group call. Consider joining our calls to benefit from the live discussion and context within which these resources were shared.
Resources shared & referenced
- CAST advisories
- Physical Presence Eligibility Requirement for T-1 Applicants (last updated Dec. 2024)
- Reporting Trafficking to Law Enforcement for T Visa Purposes (last updated Jan. 2024)
- New USPS postmark rule
- Postal Service, Postmarks and Postal Possession, 90 FR 52883 (Nov. 24, 2025).
- AILA, Practice Alert: USPS Changes to Postmark and Postal Possession, AILA Doc. 26010962.
- Updated USCIS guidance on discretion
- USCIS Policy Alerts
- PA-2025-16, Clarifying Discretionary Factors in Certain Immigration Benefit Requests (Aug. 19, 2025)
- PA-2025-26, Impact of INA 212(f) on USCIS' Adjudication of Discretionary Benefits (Nov. 27, 2025)
- Select impacted USCIS Policy Manual sections
- Vol. 1, Part E, Ch. 8 (general policies & procedures, discretionary analysis)
- Vol. 2, Part A, Ch. 4 (nonimmigrant extensions of stay)
- Vol. 7, Part A, Ch. 10 (adjustment of status)
- Vol. 9, Part A, Ch. 5 (waivers)
- Vol. 10, Part A, Ch. 4 (employment authorization)
- Practice pointers
- AILA Practice Pointer: Preparing and Defending Cases Under New Guidelines for Discretionary Review: Positive and Negatives for Nationals of 19 Countries, AILA Doc. 25122934 (Dec. 2025)
- ASISTA Practice Alert: USCIS Extreme Vetting Policies and their Implications for Immigrant Survivors (Dec. 2025)
- USCIS Policy Alerts
Upcoming trainings, panels, & conferences
- Freedom Network Annual Trafficking Conference (VIRTUAL) - March 25-26, 2026. Early bird registration available until January 16, 2026!
-
DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT) Continued Presence Webinars
- Jan. 15, 2026 (for law enforcement)
- Jan. 22, 2026 (for the public)
- ILRC Immigration Briefings
Important Legal Working Group updates - starting February 2026!
We're restructuring our calls to enhance our technical assistance and ensure everyone gets the most out of these sessions.
New monthly call structure:
- 1st Wednesday: Trafficking analysis questions only
- 3rd Wednesday: Trauma-informed/non-legal topics only
- All other calls: General legal questions
Requirements to submit a trafficking analysis question for a 1st Wednesday call:
- You must have completed Human Trafficking Defined (including passing the quiz) OR an EMP Analysis Workshop. This ensures everyone has the foundational framework for us to effectively walk through the analysis. Any legal practitioner is welcome to attend and listen to the analysis during a 1st Wednesday call, however!
- If you've completed an EMP worksheet for the case, we'll prioritize your question when we receive multiple submissions.
Stay connected!
- For notification about upcoming calls, sign up here.
- For notification of upcoming trainings, sign up here.
- For individual technical assistance, submit a request via our form.
