VAAP is a new program that exists to raise Vermont noncitizens’ awareness of and access to critical immigration legal services and support. Serving as a bridge between immigrant service providers and regulators across the state and region, VAAP also educates the public on immigration issues and advocates for policies that advance immigrants’ rights.

We envision a future Vermont where all noncitizens are aware of and enjoy equitable access to their immigration and related legal rights.

The number of people seeking asylum in the U.S. has nearly quintupled in the last decade. Without access to legal counsel, asylum seekers face virtually insurmountable barriers to work authorization and accessing basic needs, and are three to five times more likely to be denied and deported, often into life-threatening situations. In Vermont, the number of asylum seekers has grown significantly in the last few years, but the state’s legal and lay advocacy capacity has not grown to match it. Faced with a relatively low number of attorneys per capita, Vermont has struggled to provide representation – paid or pro bono – to asylum seekers.

Responding to the rise in asylum claims in the state, a network of community-base support organizations has arisen, including VAAP’s initial fiscal sponsor, Community Asylum Seekers Project, in 2016. VAAP takes partners’ on-the-ground experience supporting asylum seekers and pairs it with strong legal connections to build a statewide resource center that will equip and mentor willing attorneys and advocates, and match them with humanitarian status-seekers in need. An ever-growing number of people from Haiti, the Northern Triangle, the African continent, and Afghanistan are in the state seeking safety for themselves and their families.

Now as an independently incorporated 501(c)(3) organization, we seek to build a web of legal support drawing on the resources and expertise of our partners, allowing hundreds of people more just and open access to our country’s legal system, regulated economy, safe social inclusion, and a life with dignity.

Since incorporating in December 2023 and establishing our North St, Burlington office in January 2024, our staff of now-four has prioritized harm-reducing “unbundled” service delivery, equitable and sustainable growth of a diverse team, and advocacy for the rights of all immigrants regardless of status or arrival circumstances.

Developing our services. Through the lens of harm reduction, we focus on connecting as many people as possible to a minimum level of legal service needed to set their cases and claims up for success. Access to Justice advocates refer to this approach as “unbundled services.” Read more about this approach here. Most of our legal work involves providing limited assistance and advice on asylum and related humanitarian matters, with a growing capacity to offer extended representation in-house. We are overwhelmed with requests for help and are doing our best to timely respond to requests in the order in which we receive them and according to legal urgency. While you wait to hear from us, you should continue trying to find other legal help and, if you are comfortable, start working on your case yourself. Be sure to continue attending all your government appointments and immigration court dates, and be aware you must submit your asylum application before the one-year anniversary of your most recent entry to the United States.

Growing our staff. VAAP welcomed our first paid advocate in January 2024, our second paid advocate in May 2024, and Vermont's first two Immigrant Justice Corps Fellows in September 2024. We are hosting our first-ever summer internship program from late May through the end of July 2024, and then will welcome our first Immigrant Justice Corps Fellow in September 2024. We want to grow our staff in ways that are organized, sustainable, and consistent with our values. To prioritize workplace equity and inclusion for diverse staff who reflect the communities we serve, we have to balance our time between service delivery and program development. We thank you in advance for your patience and support for our initial growth period!

Sharing learning. We are learning alongside all of you as we work to deliver and build our program each day. Sign up for our newsletters, follow us on social media, and keep an eye on our website to stay updated on our advocacy efforts and educational events. Our educational activities include individualized consultations with legal and lay advocates working actively on cases; regular case rounds for group-based case and strategy discussions; regular training and continuing legal education in-house and in partnership with organizations like the Vermont Bar Association. Follow us and join in, or reach out to request educational activities on particular topics or for particular audiences.

We want to hear from you! Please get in touch to share feedback, introductions, resources, or requests.