VAAP hosts virtual Q&A on the third Tuesday morning and last Thursday lunch of each month. All service VT providers seeking general information about the immigration legal system and how it interacts with your clients’ access to benefits and services are welcome to drop in and listen or participate. We will facilitate this series “clinic style,” meaning we will focus our time on fostering supportive, confidential, judgement-free, reflective, and ultimately action-oriented discussion. No RSVP necessary, come when you can, and no need to stay for the whole meeting. Just come prepared to introduce yourself as well as an anonymized version of your questions for engaging group discussion! Please note that VAAP is unable to provide legal advice during these meetings nor to accept requests for intake.

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Meeting ID: 231 101 305 486

Passcode: L3udpF

VAAP hosts monthly virtual case rounds with legal advocates on the third Thursday lunch and last Tuesday morning of each month. All attorneys and accredited representatives interested or currently representing humanitarian immigration status seekers in VT are welcome to participate! We facilitate this series “clinic style,” meaning we focus our time on fostering supportive, confidential, judgement-free, reflective, and ultimately action-oriented discussion of whatever case/project questions participants bring to the group. No RSVP necessary, come when you can, and no need to stay for the whole meeting. Just come prepared to introduce yourself as well as an anonymized version of your case/project questions for engaging group discussion!

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Meeting ID: 211 986 285 707

Passcode: 4go4qN

VAAP is seeking legal volunteers and language volunteers. Legal volunteers must willing to be trained online (~2.5 hours) and volunteer in person to help fill out asylum application USCIS form I-589 from 12:00pm-5:30pm this Friday (02/21). We are also seeking fluent Spanish/English interpreter volunteers who are willing to get trained online (~2hrs) and volunteer online or in person on interpretation for legal volunteers and their clients.

Please email jill@vaapvt.org to RSVP

VAAP hosts monthly virtual case rounds with legal advocates on the third Thursday lunch and last Tuesday morning of each month. All attorneys and accredited representatives interested or currently representing humanitarian immigration status seekers in VT are welcome to participate! We facilitate this series “clinic style,” meaning we focus our time on fostering supportive, confidential, judgement-free, reflective, and ultimately action-oriented discussion of whatever case/project questions participants bring to the group. No RSVP necessary, come when you can, and no need to stay for the whole meeting. Just come prepared to introduce yourself as well as an anonymized version of your case/project questions for engaging group discussion!

Microsoft Teams Need help?

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Meeting ID: 211 986 285 707

Passcode: 4go4qN

Protecting Our Organizations: 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Compliance Virtual Training

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)

By: Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI), Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP

Webinar, United States

Topics: Program Assistance. Please join the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI), and our friends at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP for a virtual training on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, from 4-5pm ET on non-profit organizational compliance issues. The training will discuss important steps that 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organizations can take regarding tax-exempt compliance and other practices to better protect themselves from audits or investigations that interfere with their ability to defend vulnerable communities. The training is intended for leadership (e.g., Executive Directors and Board members) and finance staff. Please reach out to Charlie Jiang (cjiang@aaldef.org) with any questions.

Register Now

Protecting Our Organizations: 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Compliance Virtual Training

Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025 | 4-5pm ET

REGISTER here for Zoom link

Please join the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI), and our friends at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP for a virtual training on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, from 4-5pm ET on non-profit organizational compliance issues. The training will discuss important steps that 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organizations can take regarding tax-exempt compliance and other practices to better protect themselves from audits or investigations that interfere with their ability to defend vulnerable communities. The training is intended for leadership (e.g., Executive Directors and Board members) and finance staff. Please reach out to Charlie Jiang (cjiang@aaldef.org) with any questions.

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/KXt1HjlgS_2pmpJF8xu4Hw 

VAAP hosts virtual Q&A on the third Tuesday morning and last Thursday lunch of each month. All service VT providers seeking general information about the immigration legal system and how it interacts with your clients’ access to benefits and services are welcome to drop in and listen or participate. We will facilitate this series “clinic style,” meaning we will focus our time on fostering supportive, confidential, judgement-free, reflective, and ultimately action-oriented discussion. No RSVP necessary, come when you can, and no need to stay for the whole meeting. Just come prepared to introduce yourself as well as an anonymized version of your questions for engaging group discussion! Please note that VAAP is unable to provide legal advice during these meetings nor to accept requests for intake.

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Meeting ID: 231 101 305 486

Passcode: L3udpF

The Vermont Senate Judiciary Committee is taking up S.44, an act relating to requiring legislative approval prior to entering into certain immigration agreements, next week. Chair Hashim has invited VAAP to share subject matter expertise by testifying alongside one of the bill’s sponsors and from legislative counsel, so we estimate that VAAP’s testimony would not begin until around 11/11:15 that morning. Stream the testimony live from the Committee website linked above, or watch the recording on the Committee’s YouTube. 

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

10:30 AM: S. 44 - An act relating to requiring legislative approval prior to entering into certain immigration agreements

Introduction, walk-through, testimony

Sen. Rebecca "Becca" White, Sponsor

Rik Sehgal, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Jill Martin Diaz, Executive Director, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project

Watch live as VAAP testifies alongside Vermont Access to Justice Coalition members about the worsening unmet civil legal needs of Vermont and how upstream investment in civil legal aid promotes safety and prosperity for all!

https://www.youtube.com/@VTSenateJudiciary

Immigration & ICE: Rights, Obligations, & Support for Businesses: What do the new federal actions mean for your business or non-profit? Does your team know their rights and obligations should ICE come to your place of work? Join an expert panel of Vermont and national leaders to get your questions answered on Thursday, February 6, 11am - 12:30pm. Register here to receive the link to the webinar and the recording. This webinar is offered as a partnership of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility, and State Treasurer Mike Pieciak’s Task Force on the Federal Transition. 

Panelists:

• Sue Minter, past Executive Director, Capstone Community Action, and former VTrans Secretary, State Representative, and State Director of Recovery after Tropical Storm Irene

• Jill Martin-Diaz, Executive Director, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project

• Kelli Deuhning or Eileen Lohmann, B.A.L Immigration Law Firm

• Nicole Killoran, Vermont Law & Graduate School 

• Mike Webster, Association of Africans Living in Vermont

• Jonathan Rose, State Attorney General's Office

Register to receive the link to the webinar and the recording. All are welcome!

Last week we hosted a successful large group call on regional response coordination  As we all see, things are moving quickly, and now, more than ever, unity and action are essential.

Due to overwhelming interest we’re scheduling another meeting this Friday at 3 PM to continue our momentum. During this meeting, we’ll move quickly into regional breakout rooms to identify networks and any gaps in needs. Please mark your calendar and come ready to collaborate. Register HERE

Thank you for stepping up during this critical moment. Together, we can make an impact for our community when it’s needed most.

If you have any questions or need further support, don’t hesitate to reach out.

*Please share with others in your network who would also like to attend*

Warm Regards, 

Ashley DeAzevedo

Executive Director

American Families United

‪(240) 776-2606‬

VAAP hosts virtual Q&A on the third Tuesday morning and last Thursday lunch of each month. All service VT providers seeking general information about the immigration legal system and how it interacts with your clients’ access to benefits and services are welcome to drop in and listen or participate. We will facilitate this series “clinic style,” meaning we will focus our time on fostering supportive, confidential, judgement-free, reflective, and ultimately action-oriented discussion. No RSVP necessary, come when you can, and no need to stay for the whole meeting. Just come prepared to introduce yourself as well as an anonymized version of your questions for engaging group discussion! Please note that VAAP is unable to provide legal advice during these meetings nor to accept requests for intake.

Microsoft Teams Need help?

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Meeting ID: 231 101 305 486

Passcode: L3udpF

VAAP hosts monthly virtual case rounds with legal advocates on the third Thursday lunch and last Tuesday morning of each month. All attorneys and accredited representatives interested or currently representing humanitarian immigration status seekers in VT are welcome to participate! We facilitate this series “clinic style,” meaning we focus our time on fostering supportive, confidential, judgement-free, reflective, and ultimately action-oriented discussion of whatever case/project questions participants bring to the group. No RSVP necessary, come when you can, and no need to stay for the whole meeting. Just come prepared to introduce yourself as well as an anonymized version of your case/project questions for engaging group discussion!

Microsoft Teams Need help?

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Meeting ID: 211 986 285 707

Passcode: 4go4qN

“Please join American Families United, National Immigrant Legal Responders Alliance, National Partnership for New Americans, Ready to Stay Coalition, The Immigration Hub, National Immigration Law Center, National Immigration Project, American Business Immigration Coalition, and many others for an urgent planning session on Regional Coordination for Rapid Response. The goal of the meeting is to deepen rapid response coordination across organizing, legal, and comms at the regional level. During this meeting we hope to:

·  compare notes on what capacity exists, where coordination is already happening, and where there are gaps

·  strengthen connections with other organizations in your region  

·  launch dedicated working group(s) to continue to deepen collaboration within and across regional efforts  

We know everyone's time is precious. We look forward to this being the first of many planning sessions as we continue to build power, not panic. Friday January 24, 2025 at 3PM EST. 

Please use this link to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/5fAzmx11TzyGUMPOypMk0Q.”

“Upcoming Ready to Stay Field Webinar: Immigration Executive Orders Analysis & Field Protection Strategies – Join Us this Friday, January 24th at 12 PM ET! We invite you to join us for an important webinar on Friday, January 24th at 12:00 PM Eastern to discuss the latest immigration executive orders under the Trump administration, as well as field protection strategies and resources to support your work. Register for the webinar.

Speakers include:

• Nicole Melaku, Executive Director, National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA)

• Jennie Guilfoyle, Deputy Legal Director, VECINA

• Dearra Godinez, Senior Attorney, CLINIC

• Ama S. Frimpong, Legal Director, CASA

• Jung Woo Kim, Co-Executive Director, NAKASEC

• Stephanie Alvarez-Jones, Southeast Regional Attorney, National Immigration Project (NIP)

• Sofia Corona, Directing Attorney, UFW Foundation

• Rodrigo Camarena, Director, JusticiaLab

Join us to gain insights from leading experts in the field and learn about available resources. Register now to secure your spot! Please note: You will need to sign in to your Zoom account to participate.”

VAAP hosts virtual Q&A on the third Tuesday morning and last Thursday lunch of each month. All service VT providers seeking general information about the immigration legal system and how it interacts with your clients’ access to benefits and services are welcome to drop in and listen or participate. We will facilitate this series “clinic style,” meaning we will focus our time on fostering supportive, confidential, judgement-free, reflective, and ultimately action-oriented discussion. No RSVP necessary, come when you can, and no need to stay for the whole meeting. Just come prepared to introduce yourself as well as an anonymized version of your questions for engaging group discussion! Please note that VAAP is unable to provide legal advice during these meetings nor to accept requests for intake.

Microsoft Teams Need help?

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Meeting ID: 231 101 305 486

Passcode: L3udpF

Join VAAP’s continuing legal education presentation at the Vermont Bar Association’s annual Mid-Winter Thaw conference in Montreal:

Reimagining Inclusivity in Times of Change: Strategies for Supporting Diverse Teams to Effectively Represent Diverse Clients, 2-3:30pm (1.5 CLE, DEIB)

At the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project (VAAP), diversity is not just a value—it’s a cornerstone of our mission and model, and a driving force in our success. As a majority-minority-led legal services provider, our team’s varied backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences uniquely position us to represent under-documented noncitizen clients facing systemic barriers to social and economic participation. Yet, we recognize that achieving true inclusivity requires more than making law firm staff representative of the client communities we serve; it demands intentional efforts to eliminate bias and foster equity in every aspect of legal service. The incoming, explicitly anti-immigrant federal administration will put VAAP's service model to the test as we work to stay grounded in our equity and inclusion practices while managing an overwhelming volume of immigration law, policy, and practice changes. Join VAAP for a 90-minute session exploring actionable strategies for creating legal work environments that honor and uplift individuals of all races, ethnicities, religions, national origins, genders, sexual orientations, and abilities. Participants will learn from VAAP’s approach to integrating and supporting diverse team members to navigate bringing their whole selves to representing diverse clients, while addressing the unique challenges of immigration lawyering in 2025. Together, we’ll discuss practical steps to eliminate bias, expand accessibility, and build legal workplaces where everyone—not just clients but colleagues, too—can thrive. This program is designed to satisfy diversity and inclusion CLE requirements by providing tools to advance equity in legal practice and ensure a more inclusive and just legal profession.

Register here!

VAAP hosts monthly virtual case rounds with legal advocates on the third Thursday lunch and last Tuesday morning of each month. All attorneys and accredited representatives interested or currently representing humanitarian immigration status seekers in VT are welcome to participate! We facilitate this series “clinic style,” meaning we focus our time on fostering supportive, confidential, judgement-free, reflective, and ultimately action-oriented discussion of whatever case/project questions participants bring to the group. No RSVP necessary, come when you can, and no need to stay for the whole meeting. Just come prepared to introduce yourself as well as an anonymized version of your case/project questions for engaging group discussion!

Microsoft Teams Need help?

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Meeting ID: 211 986 285 707

Passcode: 4go4qN

Please join Amnesty International for a safety awareness and digital security training aimed at organizations working on refugee and migrant rights in the United States! This training will strengthen your ability to stay safe in the course of your work and to protect those with whom you work. It will also provide you with tools to protect your information and that of those you work with, improving your information security, digital hygiene and cybersecurity.

Amnesty International has unique knowledge on safety awareness and digital security issues that human rights organizations face in their operations around the global and is excited to share lessons learned from other countries with repressive contexts.

Amnesty International is pleased to offer an online training-it involves two, two-hour sessions, on back-to-back days.

English Training Session

• When: 14 and 15 January 2025, 1-3pm EST

• Where: Online via Zoom

• Registration Link

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Amy Fischer at AFischer@aiusa.org

Please join Amnesty International for a safety awareness and digital security training aimed at organizations working on refugee and migrant rights in the United States! This training will strengthen your ability to stay safe in the course of your work and to protect those with whom you work. It will also provide you with tools to protect your information and that of those you work with, improving your information security, digital hygiene and cybersecurity.

Amnesty International has unique knowledge on safety awareness and digital security issues that human rights organizations face in their operations around the global and is excited to share lessons learned from other countries with repressive contexts.

Amnesty International is pleased to offer an online training-it involves two, two-hour sessions, on back-to-back days.

English Training Session

• When: 14 and 15 January 2025, 1-3pm EST

• Where: Online via Zoom

• Registration Link

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Amy Fischer at AFischer@aiusa.org

VAAP hosts monthly virtual case rounds with legal advocates on the third Thursday lunch and last Tuesday morning of each month. All attorneys and accredited representatives interested or currently representing humanitarian immigration status seekers in VT are welcome to participate! We facilitate this series “clinic style,” meaning we focus our time on fostering supportive, confidential, judgement-free, reflective, and ultimately action-oriented discussion of whatever case/project questions participants bring to the group. No RSVP necessary, come when you can, and no need to stay for the whole meeting. Just come prepared to introduce yourself as well as an anonymized version of your case/project questions for engaging group discussion!

Microsoft Teams Need help?

Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 211 986 285 707

Passcode: 4go4qN

“Vermont Legal Aid seeks volunteer lawyers licensed to practice in Vermont to support family preparedness and preserve the parental rights of Vermonters without a lawful immigration status. Over 100 families living in Vermont have undocumented parents with U.S. citizen children. These mix-status families need your legal support to create a legal pathway for the parents  to uphold their ability to make choices on behalf of their children. We seek lawyers to help establish minor guardianships for children of undocumented individuals.

Please help these families. Minor guardianships, and family preparedness plans more broadly, help children avoid DCF custody if their parents are placed in immigrations proceedings and face deportation. DCF does not have a system to reunite children with their parents outside of the United States. Minor guardianships can enable parents to place their children in the care of a trusted adult that can carry out their wishes for their children.   

Training: We are offering free training will take place on Friday December 20th from 2 PM – 4 PM at the Fletcher Free Library. Agenda will cover introductions; overview of family preparedness/minor guardianships; overview of common VT immigration issues for mixed status families; overview of VT landscape and scope of need; family preparedness legal planning overview; form review; clinic logistics; best practices for working with interpreters; clarifying and enforcing limited scope of rep and what to do in the event of immigration enforcement. RSVP is mandatory to Barb Prine, brprine@vtlegalaid.org.

What to expect: Attorneys and Advocates from Vermont Legal Aid and Vermont Asylum Assistance Project will provide training on this process and facilitate clinics. You do not need a background in immigration law. Volunteer lawyers will work with parents and potential guardians in a clinic-style setting to prepare power of attorney, minor guardianships, and retainer agreements. Starting in January we will likely hold two clinics a month, in the evening. About half will be in Chittenden County and half will be in the rural counties.

Volunteer task: You must be willing to attend at least one clinic, and agree to meet potential clients there. We expect to connect volunteer lawyers with 1-3 client families per clinic. Should your client be detained by ICE in the future, you must be willing to represent the parents’ interests in Probate Court if a family separation occurs.

History of the Project: Advocates from Vermont Legal Aid developed this project in collaboration with Migrant Justice, UVM Migrant Education, Bridges to Health, and the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project. Our Immigrant Minor Guardianship project originally launched in 2017 as a result of the immigration and family separation policies under then-President Trump. We assisted over 25 families complete guardianship paperwork at that time. We are renewing this initiative in response to President-elect Trump’s stated plans related to deportation and border security. Please let us know if you are willing to help with this important project by filling out your information on this link Volunteer Guardianship Form . 

Please reply to Barb Prine, Vermont Legal Aid Staff Attorney at bprine@vtlegalaid.org  if you have any questions. Thank you so much for any help you can give for these vulnerable families.”

Access VAAP curated resources on family preparedness for mixed status families here: https://www.vaapvt.org/resources-communities.

“The Refugee Law Lab at York University and the Citizen Lab are hosting an Emergency Town Hall on surveillance of migrants. Our clinic will definitely be attending. I highly recommend this event to any of you who are worried about surveillance of your clients or staff, either by government or other actors! The Refugee Law Lab and Citizen Lab are both experts in this field and I can say from experience that they provide extremely practical information and tips. Feel free to share this invitation! It is a global event – attendees are welcome from outside of Canada.

Jenn McIntyre (She/Her), Clinic Coordinator

Canada-US Border Rights Clinic/ Clinique juridique Canada-États-Unis pour réfugiés

jenn@canadaborderclinic.org”

 —

Town Hall on Migrant Justice Surveillance, December 19th 2024, 12pm EST 

Join the Refugee Law Lab and the Citizen Lab for a conversation on migrant justice surveillance in the Age of Trump 2.0. and beyond. 

Are you a migrant justice organizer or a person-on-the-move worried about increasing state and private surveillance as a result of your work? Are you concerned you may be a target for deportation or spyware? Responding to the needs of our sector, we would like to cultivate space for a preliminary conversation and resource sharing. We will offer some practical tips on best practices to ward against surveillance but also want to hear from you what your priorities are moving forward and how we can strengthen community and resource sharing. This will be the first of hopefully many conversations to build solidarity and learn from one another. All our welcome, and while one of the main concerns are the impacts of a second Trump presidency, we also wish to engage with you if you work in other regions. (Note - we know Zoom is not a great choice for a platform for this meeting. However, after weighing our options to make this preliminary conversation as accessible as possible, we have decided to hold it here. We will make some security suggestions at the beginning and will be setting up a secure Signal chat after the meeting). 

The Refugee Law Lab is based at York University and advocates algorithmic justice for people-on-the-move. We undertake research and advocacy about legal analytics, artificial intelligence, and new border control technologies that impact refugees and other non-citizens. 

The Citizen Lab is an interdisciplinary laboratory based at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto, focusing on research, development, and high-level strategic policy and legal engagement at the intersection of information and communication technologies, human rights, and global security

Register here: https://yorku.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYvceCtqjMjGtQYeh34QK1JSKXGKz8I7J3C

12/17 @ 12pm PT/3pm ET: Fighting Immigrant Detention in Your Community (Hosted by Detention Watch Network, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, National Immigrant Justice Center)

12/17 @ 10am PT/1pm ET: Train the Trainers - Be Informed: what is ICE, how do they operate, and what are your rights during an encounter with them? (Hosted by Immigrant Defense Project, Surveillance Resistance Lab, and Make the Road New York)

VAAP hosts virtual Q&A on the third Tuesday morning and last Thursday lunch of each month. All service VT providers seeking general information about the immigration legal system and how it interacts with your clients’ access to benefits and services are welcome to drop in and listen or participate. We will facilitate this series “clinic style,” meaning we will focus our time on fostering supportive, confidential, judgement-free, reflective, and ultimately action-oriented discussion. No RSVP necessary, come when you can, and no need to stay for the whole meeting. Just come prepared to introduce yourself as well as an anonymized version of your questions for engaging group discussion! Please note that VAAP is unable to provide legal advice during these meetings nor to accept requests for intake.

Microsoft Teams Need help?

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Meeting ID: 231 101 305 486

Passcode: L3udpF

12/13, 12/17 @ 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET: Deportation Defense Training Series (Hosted by Mijente)

“Journey to Human Rights. From December 10 to December 18, the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), in partnership with leading immigrant rights organizations, will honor both International Human Rights Day and International Migrants Day through a series of powerful actions. These events aim to uplift human rights and spotlight the profound impact of migration policies on the lives of migrants and refugees. Join us in conversation with human rights leaders on Monday, December 16, from 6 – 7:30 pm Eastern time to explore the intersection of immigrant justice in the U.S. and Palestinian rights to peace, justice, and self-determination. We will address key issues such as immigration detention, militarization, and the resistance to harmful and dehumanizing policies, both in the U.S. and abroad. Register here: https://secure.afsc.org/a/journey-human-rights.”

Access the toolkit on VAAP’s resource library and here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lA48Ddk8StqYMv7BNIaNioPFMiSESFHCsACogPn_0KY/edit?tab=t.0.