Fall 2024
September 25, 2024
Her Justice presented our policy report, Stories from Immigrant Survivors of Gender-Based Violence: The Impact of Work Authorization, in a plenary session at the 2024 New York State Bar Association Partnership Conference.
Summer 2024
June 25, 2024
Her Justice, as a member of I-ARC, signed on to a letter urging Mayor Adams and his administration to properly fund immigration legal services in the FY25 City Budget and City agencies, such as the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, to coordinate closely with New York City’s legal service providers and community-based organizations as we address the legal needs of our immigrant communities.
June 12, 2024
Her Justice, as a member of (I-ARC), submitted a comment in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, “Application of Certain Mandatory Bars in Fear Screenings” published by USCIS on May 13, 2024. I-ARC opposed the proposed rule allowing asylum officers to consider bars to asylum during the credible fear interview as it would increase the risks of erroneous asylum denials and make the asylum process more inefficient and inconsistent, raising concerns about due process violations for asylum seekers.
June 12, 2024
Her Justice joined 47 national, statewide, and local organizations that serve and advocate for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking in submitting a comment in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Application of Certain Mandatory Bars in Fear Screenings, published by USCIS.
June 3, 2024
Her Justice, as a member of Immigrant ARC (I-ARC), along with concerned elected officials, signed a letter to express concerns regarding the recent decision to move the USCIS Brooklyn Field Office under the direction of the Newark District Office.
Spring 2024
May 29, 2024
Her Justice signed on to a letter to New York State Assembly Speaker Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins urging passage of the Nail Salon Minimum Standards Council Act, which would create an industry council of workers, owners, and government to recommend new sector-wide labor standards for nail salons, so that New York can better protect the workplace rights and reproductive health of all nail salon workers.
May 22, 2024
Her Justice signed on to a letter to the U.S. House Immigration Subcommittee voicing opposition to H.R. 7909, which would expand the circumstances under which domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, neglect, and stalking, along with other sex offenses, would constitute grounds of inadmissibility and deportability for undocumented immigrants and ultimately harm immigrant survivors.
May 17, 2024
Her Justice submitted comments to USCIS pertaining to revisions to forms related to petitions for U nonimmigrant status (U Visas) during a public comment period related to rulemaking. Her Justice shared best practices insights, including around law enforcement certification for U Visa applicants.
April, 2024
Her Justice was invited to join the City Council’s New Arrivals Strategy Team to put our expertise to work by strengthening how our city integrates newcomers and provides supportive services for all New Yorkers.
March 7, 2024
Her Justice and other anti-trafficking organizations signed on to a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security urging the agency to quickly finalize the final T Visa rule on the administration’s regulatory agenda after a public comment period, so that the crucial protections of the T Visa would be available to survivors throughout the United States.
Winter 2024
February 9, 2024
The National Immigrant Justice Center cited the Her Justice EAD policy research report in the complaint for a litigation it filed on behalf of a group of noncitizens who have waited years for an initial review of their U visa applications. The group is suing the U.S. government for failing to properly implement congressionally mandated processes which were created to alleviate the most acute harms faced by people trapped in growing backlogs.
January 27-28, 2024
Her Justice participated in the annual NYIC Member Congress with other immigrants’ rights advocates learning about NYIC policy goals and attending meetings with New York State elected officials to support legislation benefitting immigrant New Yorkers.
January 8, 2024
Her Justice joined other groups that advocate for the rights of immigrant survivors of crimes and gender-based violence in submitting public comments to USCIS in response to “Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Currently Approved Collection: Petition For U Nonimmigrant Status,” with recommendations regarding proposed revisions to forms I-918/I-918A, and I-918B.
Winter 2023
December 14, 2023
Her Justice sent advocacy emails to Senator Gillibrand’s and Senator Schumer’s offices opposing potential restrictions on asylum laws in the context of negotiations around the U.S. Congressional spending package.
Fall 2023
November 30, 2023
Her Justice signed on to a letter to U.S. Congress expressing concern over proposals to eliminate or reduce access to asylum or parole as a condition for moving funding for Ukraine.
November 15, 2023
Her Justice submitted public comments to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regarding changes to improve the clarity of the instructions for the T nonimmigrant status application for trafficking survivors.
October 25, 2023
Her Justice signed on to a letter to the White House to urge the administration to withdraw support for the Haitian government of Ariel Henry and end all immigration policies that persecute and deport Haitian refugees.
October 18, 2023
Her Justice testified before the City Council in a hearing concerning legal services for asylum seekers. We emphasized the need for robust support for full legal services/representation for undocumented immigrants and the role Her Justice and our pro bono partners play in the City’s legal ecosystem.
October 12, 2023
Her Justice signed on to a letter to President Biden and the White House urging the administration to immediately end all immigration policies that persecute, exclude, and deport Haitian refugees given conditions in Haiti, including socioeconomic challenges, political instability, and gang violence and crime – aggravated by environmental disaster.
September 8, 2023
Her Justice signed on to a letter to members of the U.S. Congress raising concerns that H.R.2601, which would require entities that contract with the National Human Trafficking Hotline to cooperate with State and local law enforcement agencies when receiving tips via the hotline, would not adequately protect survivors’ need for confidentiality.
Summer 2023
August 21, 2023
Her Justice signed on to a letter spearheaded by ASISTA to Governor Kathy Hochul of New York State encouraging her to sign the Fair Courts for Immigrant New Yorkers bill (A.3057 / S. 5826) into law, which would require criminal courts to provide accurate information about the immigration consequences of convictions prior to acceptance of a plea and permit a noncitizen defendant time to assess immigration consequences.
June 26, 2023
Her Justice contributed to an amicus brief that ASISTA and the National Immigration Litigation Alliance submitted in an appeal in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington urging for judicial review of immigration agency decisions in the U nonimmigrant visa adjustment of status process.
June 6, 2023
Her Justice and other legal service providers signed on to a letter in support of Catholic Charities Community Services, which suspended Immigration Court Helpdesk services for the month of June in protest against abusive behavior by the security guards at 26 Federal Plaza towards their staff and stakeholders.
Spring 2023
March 24, 2023
Her Justice prepared a memorandum in support of the N.Y. Access to Representation Act (S.00999/ A.00170), which would create a right to counsel for anyone in New York facing deportation who cannot afford legal representation on their own and provide much needed funding to build the supply of legal representation services, including social services support, to meet the demand throughout New York State.
March 22, 2023
Her Justice along with other women’s rights, gender equity, and reproductive justice organizations, supported a letter to Governor Hochul and Members of the NYS Senate and Assembly advocating for the passage of the Nail Salon Minimum Standards Council Act (S.1800/A.378), an innovative labor policy that would create a sectoral council of workers and small business owners to help set new labor standards in nail salons across NYS. Her Justice supported this measure because poor working conditions in nail salons overwhelmingly impact immigrant women of color, and Her Justice is committed to economic justice for these New Yorkers.
March 9, 2023
Her Justice, along with other organizations that serve survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking, submitted comments in response to the Department of Homeland Security’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Fee Schedule and Changes to Certain Other Immigration Benefit Request Requirements, urging consistent exemption from filing fees for all survivor-based categories to reduce confusion among survivors as well as the service providers that work with them.
March 1, 2023
Her Justice, as a member of I-ARC, signed on to a letter urging an extension of the public comment period related to rulemaking around the Biden administration’s Title 42 border policy.
Winter 2023
January 18, 2023
Her Justice, as a member of I-ARC, joined other civil, human rights, and immigrant rights groups in a letter opposing the Biden administration’s announcement of a plan to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to resurrect Trump-era asylum bans.
January 12, 2023
Her Justice signed on to a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives urging a “no” vote on the “Border Safety and Security Act,” which would seal off all borders and ports of entry to asylum seekers if Department of Homeland Security agents cannot detain or return to Mexico all arriving asylum seekers and migrants.
January 10, 2023
Her Justice, as a member of I-ARC, joined other immigrants’ rights groups in a letter opposing Governor Hochul’s nomination of Justice Hector LaSalle to serve as Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals.
Winter 2022
December 2, 2022
Her Justice joined the Alliance for Immigrant Survivors and other immigrant survivors’ rights organizations in a letter urging the U.S. Attorney General to overturn certain precedents and expand access to post-conviction and sentencing relief for noncitizen survivors to eliminate oppressive structures that erect barriers to justice and cause further harm to survivors of violence.
Fall 2022
November 17, 2022
Her Justice joined other immigrants’ rights organizations in a letter urging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to immediately release written guidance that clarifies the process by which undocumented workers, guestworkers, and others with precarious immigration status who are victims or witnesses of labor exploitation may seek prosecutorial discretion.
November 14, 2022
Her Justice joined other immigrant survivors’ rights organizations in a letter urging President Biden to fulfill the promises the Administration made to immigrant survivors in the National Action Plan to Combat Trafficking and extend the pardon for federal marijuana possession convictions to that group and all immigrants.
November 4, 2022
Her Justice signed on to a letter led by the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild urging President Biden to extend the pardon for federal marijuana possession convictions to undocumented immigrants, refugees, asylees, and others in view of the serious and harmful immigration consequences that flow from marijuana convictions.
October 19, 2022
Her Justice joined a group of immigration advocacy organizations to support the Working for Immigrant Safety and Empowerment (“WISE”) Bill being proposed by Rep. Jayapal. The bill would remove barriers to legal status for immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and other crimes that may be eligible under the Violence Against Act of 1994 and the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000.
October 18, 2022
Her Justice prepared a memorandum in support of the proposed Court Notifications Bill (S.2903A (Kavanagh) /A.9877 (Cruz)), which would increase protections for immigrants facing charges in criminal court by fortifying the court’s obligation to notify people of immigration consequences. The legislation passed both houses of the legislature and is awaiting signature by the Governor.
October 17, 2022
Her Justice, as a member of the steering committee of I-ARC, endorsed the Welcoming New York campaign, which includes work at the federal, state and local levels to ensure that every asylum seeker who makes it to New York has the services, shelter, and care that they need.
October 6, 2022
Her Justice joined the Alliance of Immigrant Survivors and others in a letter urging USCIS to eliminate the one-year employment authorization limit for U-nonimmigrant status-based adjustment of status applicants (which includes Her Justice clients), positing that the lengthy application times for this relief expose survivors of crime to a gap in work authorization documentation and increased instability at work.
Summer 2022
August 15, 2022
Her Justice, as a member of the I-ARC Steering Committee, signed on to a letter led by African immigrant and Black-led community organizations to the federal administration urging Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas to review country conditions and provide an initial 18-month designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Mali.
August 2, 2022
Her Justice, as a member of the I-ARC Steering Committee, signed on to a letter with other organizations urging the U.S. Senate to vote against any amendment to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 that would harm immigrant communities.
August 1, 2022
Her Justice signed on to a letter with other legal services providers and advocates urging the Governor to allocate $3 million from the Empire State Economic Development Fund Program to support legal services for resettled Afghans, as well as tax incentives for employers who hire resettled Afghans within a year of their arrival in New York, through the Empire State Development Program.
July 19, 2022
Her Justice signed on to a letter led by ASISTA, the National Immigration Project, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, and other organizations to the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary addressing the impact of the Dobbs decision on immigrants.
Spring 2022
May 2022
Her Justice partnered with Esperanza United, the Alliance for Immigrant Survivors, and ASISTA in meetings with federal Congressional representatives on enhanced appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security to ensure expeditious processing of immigration applications for survivors of gender-based violence, among other priorities.
May 9, 2022
Her Justice participated in the preparation of public comments relating to the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding the Prohibition on Inclusion of Adverse Information in Consumer Reporting in Cases of Human Trafficking. The comments, which were submitted in partnership with other advocates working with trafficking survivors and in consumer law issues, including the Center for Survivor Agency and Justice, urged the CFPB to, among other things, prevent credit reporting agencies from reporting information in tenant or background checks, including expunged or sealed criminal records, that would harm survivors seeking stability; to accept a wide array of documentation to prove eligibility as a trafficking survivor under the rules; and to generally address the issue of coerced debt affecting survivors of other coercive and abusive familial relationships.
April 25, 2022
Her Justice signed on to comments drafted by the Alliance of Immigrant Survivors as to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding Inadmissibility on Public Charge supporting the proposed rule which would reverse the broad interpretation of “public charge” under the Trump administration in 2019 that had a harmful chilling effect on survivors (and all low-income immigrants).
April 25, 2022
Her Justice signed on to a letter with the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights to exert pressure on the Biden Administration to end the use of Title 42, a Trump-era policy that purported to use the law to advance public health/anti-COVID practices but excludes asylees at the southern border.
April 21, 2022
Her Justice participated in a lobby day spearheaded by the New York Immigration Coalition to bring attention to the New York for All Act, state legislation that would prohibit all local law enforcement and state agencies from conspiring with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol. Her Justice has previously supported this legislation.
March 31, 2022
Her Justice, along with national and statewide organizations that work with survivors of gender-based violence, signed on to a letter to U.S. House and Senate members of the Appropriations Committee highlighting the harmful delays in applications for relief under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), and urging consideration of the needs of immigrant survivors in formulating the Department of Homeland Security fiscal year appropriations budget.
March 30, 2022
Her Justice and other allies signed on to a letter to Governor Hochul urging the State to adopt the $64.5 Million AAPI Equity Budget to fund, among other things, community-based organizations providing services to Asian American Pacific Islander communities.
March 14, 2022
Her Justice submitted testimony for a hearing held by the New York City Council’s Committee on Immigration relating to the needs of immigrant survivors of gender-based violence and domestic violence/intimate partner violence.
March 7, 2022
Her Justice signed on to a letter, along with other legal and social services providers, applauding the decision of the Department of Homeland Security to designate Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status for 18 months and urging the administration to offer the same protection to other immigrants facing similarly extreme conditions in their countries of birth.