This one-page infographic summarizes the various California post-conviction relief vehicles, their requirements, and their immigration benefits.

This practice alert is intended to help advocates and practitioners grapple with the latest policy memo on discretion and adjustment of status dated May 21, 2026.

The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act (TSRA) was passed on January 23, 2026, and provides new federal post-conviction relief options for those convicted of certain federal offenses that were committed as a direct result of having been a victim of human trafficking. This practice alert discusses the new law and potential benefits for noncitizen defendants.

This explainer provides information and context for the Department of Homeland Security’s proposed rule seeking to change Form AR-11, Change of Address. DHS proposes to add questions seeking information about a person’s employment or current schooling and whether they have received any means-tested benefit. The proposed form change is over-broad and will result in confusion for applicants who are required to update the government about their address changes. This rule is proposed and is NOT in effect yet.

USCIS has exclusive jurisdiction to adjudicate certain applications for immigration relief that protect survivors of crime and other forms of abuse. Many people who are in active removal proceedings are eligible for one or more of these forms of relief. In the past, it was often possible to postpone or terminate removal proceedings to pursue such relief at USCIS. However, current policies at the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and increasingly negative caselaw from the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) have made navigating removal proceedings for these applicants extremely challenging. The challenges are exacerbated due to visa backlogs and USCIS adjudication delays for these forms of relief. This advisory provides an overview of affirmative relief for immigrant survivors, summarize recent BIA cases on point, and offer practice tips for protecting against removal.

In this community explainer we will discuss some questions that have been raised since the publication of the memo as well as practical considerations for family-based applicants for adjustment of status.