This post contains links shared and resources referenced during the May 27, 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
- Consular processing & admission for T derivatives
- Regarding no requirement to demonstrate no immigrant intent
- 9 FAM 402.6-5(E)(1)(j) (“Remember that T visa applicants do not need to demonstrate that they have a foreign residence which they have no intention of abandoning. You therefore cannot refuse a T visa applicant under INA 214(b) for failure to demonstrate ties to a foreign residence.”)
- 8 CFR § 245.23 & INA § 245(l) (adjustment of status eligibility for T nonimmigrants)
- NIWAP, The Categories of “Dual Intent” Nonimmigrant Visas Anticipate That Immigrants Can Permanently Remain in the United States (Mar. 2014)
- CAST FAQ re I-94s for T derivatives
- Regarding no requirement to demonstrate no immigrant intent
- CAST advisories & guides
- Reporting Trafficking to Law Enforcement for T Visa Purposes (last updated Jan. 2024)
- Requesting DOJ Letters for T Visa Early Adjustment of Status (last updated Apr. 2025)
- Updated USCIS guidance on discretion
- USCIS Policy Alerts & Memoranda
- 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)
- PA-2025-26, Impact of INA 212(f) on USCIS' Adjudication of Discretionary Benefits (Nov. 27, 2025)
- PA-2025-16, Clarifying Discretionary Factors in Certain Immigration Benefit Requests (Aug. 19, 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, alerts, & briefs
- AILA
- Policy Brief: USCIS’s New Policy Weaponizes Discretion to Make It Harder to Get a Green Card, AILA Doc. 26052832 (May 2026)
- Practice Pointer: Practice Pointer: New Adjustment of Status Policy Mandating a High Bar for a Positive Exercise of Discretion, AILA Doc. 26052602 (May 2026)
- 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)
- AILA
- USCIS Policy Alerts & Memoranda
-
ICWC v. Mullins (formerly ICWC v. Noem)
- Public Counsel, Federal Court Halts ICE’s Illegal Detention and Deportation of Immigrant Survivors of Crimes (links to preliminary injunction)
- Center for Human Rights & Constitutional Law litigation webpage
- ICE Directive 11005.3: Using a Victim-Centered Approach with Noncitizen Crime Victims
- Receipt delays
- AILA April 2026 VAWA/U/T Receipt Delay Practice Alert, AILA Doc. 25050703
- AILA May 2025 VAWA/U/T Receipt Delay Practice Alert
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: General Case Rejections, AILA Doc. 26051500
- 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
Upcoming trainings, panels, & conferences
- Immigrant Legal Resource Center Immigration Briefings: Jan to June 2026.
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!