This post contains links shared and resources referenced during the June 10, 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
-
ICWC v. Mullins (formerly ICWC v. Noem)
- Center for Human Rights & Constitutional Law
- Public Counsel, Federal Court Halts ICE’s Illegal Detention and Deportation of Immigrant Survivors of Crimes
- ICE Directive 11005.3: Using a Victim-Centered Approach with Noncitizen Crime Victims (Dec. 2, 2021)
- ICE Memo, Prosecutorial Discretion: Certain Victims, Witnesses, and Plaintiffs (Jun. 17, 2011)
- Adjustment of status
- USCIS Policy Memorandum, PM-602-0199, Adjustment of Status is a Matter of Discretion and Administrative Grace, and an Extraordinary Relief that Permits Applicants to Dispense with the Ordinary Consular Visa Process (May 21, 2026)
- AILA
- Practice Pointer, New Adjustment of Status Policy Mandating a High Bar for a Positive Exercise of Discretion, AILA Doc. 26052602
- Featured Issue: New Policy on Adjustment of Status as Act of Extraordinary Discretion, AILA Doc. 26052862
- New York Times, Actually, Most Immigrants Won’t Need to Leave U.S. to Get Green Cards, D.H.S. Says (May 29, 2026)
- T adjustment of status
- USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 3, Part B, Ch. 10(B)(1) (proof of employment authorization)
- USCIS Handbook for Employers M-274, Ch. 7.8 (T and U nonimmigrant Status)
- 8 CFR § 274a.12(a)(16) (employment authorization incident to status for T-1 nonimmigrants)
- CAST T AOS checklist (Feb 2025)
- Options to communicate with USCIS for “protected persons” (including T nonimmigrants)
- USCIS Contact Us (under “Inquiries for VAWA, T, and U Filings (Including Form I-751 Abuse Waivers)”)
- USCIS Contact Center (under “Live Assistance”—see section on VAWA/U/T cases)
- USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 1, Ch. 7(E) – VAWA, T, and U Cases (see subsection 3, “USCIS Assistance”, which now specifies that attorneys and accredited representatives may utilize the Contact Center when inquiring about these cases)
- Miscellaneous
- CAST advisory, T Derivatives & Age-Out Protections (Aug 2025)
- Justice at Last, How to Deliver Bad News to Clients (June 2026)
- NIPNLG, Returning to the U.S. After Deportation: A Guide to Assess Your Eligibility (2023)
- 8 CFR § 103.2(b)(8)(ii) (USCIS may deny a benefit request missing required initial evidence or that does not establish eligibility OR it may issue a request for evidence)
Example collections
- Human Rights Watch & Alliance for Immigrant Survivors example collection of ICE enforcement against survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault, & other crimes (with a focus on enforcement following police interactions)
- AILA Call for Examples: USCIS RFEs, NOIDs, NOIRs, and denials involving USCIS' Adjudication of Discretionary Benefits
- AILA Call for Examples: Delay in Receipt Notices (any application type), AILA Doc. 26040901
Important Legal Working Group updates - starting February 4, 2026!
We're restructuring our Legal Working Group 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!