Changes to USCIS Policy Will Directly Impact Vulnerable Immigrants

11/15/18 The Trump administration’s move to deport more people from the US has come into sharp focus again as it targets some of the most vulnerable immigrants with its Notice to Appear (NTA) policy.
The new policy, announced in June 2018, had already dramatically altered the role of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) by broadening the circumstances in which USCIS may issue an NTA – a charging document that triggers the start of deportation proceedings – for certain applicants who have been denied immigration benefits.
Starting November 19, individuals who have applied for humanitarian benefits will be directly impacted. USCIS has announced that, as of that date, it may issue NTAs impacting individuals who seek U visas (victims of crime), T visas (victims of severe forms of trafficking), and self-petitions under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).