Blog 2

Wendi, a single mother seeking asylum from Guatemala, played a central role in ASAP’s CASA v. Mayorkas lawsuit that led to over 150,000 asylum seekers being able to work legally and get a Social Security number. Having a work permit in the United States unlocks access to driver’s licenses, health insurance, and other critical resources. … Read more

Dear ASAP members, ASAP has reached 500,000 members! We are so excited to share this news with you. With over 500,000 members today and thousands of new members joining each week, ASAP’s members represent the largest community of asylum seekers in the United States. ASAP’s members are asylum seekers from nearly every country in the … Read more

Learn how Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project members have been fighting for justice for separated families for five years in this digital archive.

ASAP is the largest community of asylum seekers in U.S. history. We ask all ASAP members an optional question: “What is one thing you would change about the asylum process?” This page reflects the top 5 priorities for ASAP’s first 150,000 members. In September 2022, we determined the top 5 priorities for ASAP’s first 350,000 … Read more

ASAP’s legal educational resources—videos, infographics, FAQs, and more—have now been accessed more than 10 million times!

Across the United States, mayors and city governments are joining Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) members in the fight for faster work permits! On March 28, 2023, over 50 mayors and city governments sent a letter to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). They asked USCIS to make it faster and easier for asylum seekers … Read more

June 12, 2023 Update: The CASA v. Mayorkas lawsuit ended because the government agreed to everything that ASAP and our members requested, including working to ensure 30 day processing of initial work permit applications. You can read more at this page. “I feel very happy, because the outcome of this lawsuit was not only a … Read more

Dear ASAP members and supporters, We are writing to share some important news with you. Liz Willis, one of ASAP’s four co-founders, will be leaving ASAP in February. Liz has been a source of so much expertise, insight, generosity, and warmth from ASAP’s start. She co-founded ASAP in 2015 as a Yale Law student, committed … Read more

Recently, the U.S. government proposed several changes to the asylum system — some good, and some bad. On October 19, 2021, ASAP responded to the government’s proposal, basing our response on ideas that members shared about how to improve the asylum process. Thank you to each member who shared your ideas with us! As asylum … Read more

In April of 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (a government agency also known as “USCIS” that decides immigration applications, including many applications for asylum and all applications for work permits) asked the public how it could do a better job. Specifically, USCIS asked for ideas about how it could make the immigration system easier … Read more

ASAP members spoke out in dozens of media outlets, from the New York Times to People Magazine to CNN.

ASAP posts bilingual videos on YouTube that help asylum seekers navigate the complex U.S. immigration system.

View ASAP’s latest annual report! The report features quotes from members and staff, one member’s story of fighting for change, and more!

ASAP’s federal lawsuit challenging bias in the immigration court system will move forward, thanks to the recent ruling of a federal judge in Oregon. ASAP filed Las Americas v. Trump in December 2019 to challenge the weaponization of our nation’s immigration courts. Our complaint outlines examples of pervasive dysfunction and bias, including “asylum-free zones” where … Read more

During these turbulent times, ASAP is continuing to work on behalf of asylum seekers and helping other organizations and legal providers do the same. Since 2015, the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) has provided legal assistance to thousands of asylum seekers in over 40 states and 5 countries. We’ve built our model around the goal … Read more

ASAP joined with three other legal services organizations in suing the government to stop the deportations of thousands of asylum seekers in danger of being arrested in raids rumored to begin over the weekend. The lawsuit, brought in conjunction with the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN), Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef), and Public Counsel, aims … Read more

Access to an attorney while in detention could mean life or death for asylum-seeking families fleeing unspeakable violence. Since its founding in 2015, the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) has been working to provide legal aid to asylum-seeking women and children held in private prison facilities. As the Trump administration continues to increase its attacks … Read more