Description
For those of you who missed our March 2024 conference on "Selecting Strategies for Survivors of Trafficking: A Deep-Dive Comparison of the U and T Visa, " the recordings are now available for purchase. The online training is composed of six separate sessions. You can buy all six sessions togheter and save $100 or buy individual sessions.
See below the general agenda of the online conference:
Session One: Refresher on T and U Visas, and T- and U-Based Adjustment of Status (1.5 hrs.)In Session One we set the stage for the rest of the conference by reviewing the latest requirements and processes for T and U visas, as well as the adjustment of status options that follow. We highlight some points of divergence in both elements and benefits.
Speakers:
- Kelly Byrne, Staff Attorney, ASISTA
- Rebecca Eissenova, Senior Staff Attorney, ASISTA
- Stephanie Morales, Morales Law, PLLC.
Session Two: The Element of Trafficking in Ts and Us (1.5 hrs)
Building on Session One, this session will zoom in on the circumstances that meet the definition of the underlying trafficking victimization for each visa. Using case examples, our experts will answer the questions: When are the elements of a “severe form of human trafficking” met in the context of domestic violence or intimate partner violence? What facts need to be present for a sexual assault to constitute trafficking? When does an agreement to be smuggled into the US become a trafficking situation? Are some scenarios better suited to argue for T visa eligibility, rather than a U, or vice versa?
Speakers:
- Carson Osberg, Senior Attorney, Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, (CAST)
- Lia Ocasio, Staff Attorney, ASISTA.
Session Three: Labor-Based Deferred Action and Continued Presence for Trafficking Survivors (1hr.)
It has been just over a year since DHS announced a deferred action program for undocumented workers involved in labor disputes or investigations into workplace violations. In this session, experts will discuss this form of relief, the intersection of Labor DA (or DALE) with U and T visa relief, and the comparative benefits and strategic considerations of Deferred Action or Continued Presence for T-eligible survivors of trafficking.
Speakers:
- Mary Yanik, Professor of Practice and Dir. of Immigrant Rights Clinic, Tulane Law School
- Cristina Velez, Legal & Policy Director, ASISTA.
Session Four: Two Points of Distinction: Law Enforcement Cooperation Requirements and How Harm Relates to Each Visa (1.5 hrs.)
Session Four brings you a deep dive into some disparate elements of T and U visas. First, we discuss the requirement for law enforcement cooperation and how to prove it for either visa. Next, we discuss the different reasons it may be relevant to show that harm resulted, or is likely to result, from the trafficking victimization. For T visas, especially, we will also examine how the cooperation component and level of harm suffered can be related, and, for both visas, we will talk about how the human impact of trafficking can and should be woven into arguments for many elements of the application.
Speakers:
- Hilary Chadwick, Senior Staff Attorney, Anti-Trafficking Initiative (ATI), Sanctuary for Families.
- Rebecca Eissenova, Senior Staff Attorney, ASISTA.
Session Five: What’s in a Waiver (1.5 hrs.)
In this session, we will focus on inadmissible survivors of human trafficking. We will discuss how the waiver standards differ and overlap for T and U visas—and adjudication trends you need to know. We’ll then move on to discuss the impacts of inadmissibility on T and U adjustment of status applications, both on paper and in practice.
Speakers:
- Tim Fallon, Supervising Attorney, Her Justice.
- Lia Ocasio, Staff Attorney, ASISTA.
Session Five: What’s in a Waiver (1.5 hrs.)
In this session, we will focus on inadmissible survivors of human trafficking. We will discuss how the waiver standards differ and overlap for T and U visas—and adjudication trends you need to know. We’ll then move on to discuss the impacts of inadmissibility on T and U adjustment of status applications, both on paper and in practice.
Speakers:
- Tim Fallon, Supervising Attorney, Her Justice.
- Lia Ocasio, Staff Attorney, ASISTA.
Session Six: Working With Trafficking Survivors: Trauma-Informed Representation and Policy Advocacy (1 hr.)
This session, experts bring you a complement to the rest of the conference’s focus on legal and procedural issues. What do survivors of trafficking want you to know about how best to work with them on advocacy – both in individual cases and efforts to seek systemic change? How can we make our practices welcoming and respectful of the survivor’s experience and decision to come forward? And what are the larger policy goals of trafficking survivors? Anti-trafficking advocates from the policy world will share their thoughts about these questions to ground our learning from the past two days.
Speakers:
- Bart James Bachman, Associate Director of Trafficking Services at the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI).
- Rafael Bautista, Expert consultant with lived experience, member of US Advisory Council on Human Trafficking.
- Emma Ecker, Senior Policy Specialist, Freedom Network USA (FNUSA)
- Cristina Velez, Legal & Policy Director, ASISTA.
Disclaimer: Content is current as of date of recording. It is your responsibility to ensure content is up to date. Written materials accompany the recording. Please note that you will not receive CLE credit for watching the recording.
