CVRAN

May Newsletter

Hadley Mueller “RADICAL” (March Arts Marathon 2026)

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Monthly Roundup

On May 22, USCIS issued new discretionary guidance stating that immigrants “seeking adjustment of status must do so through consular processing via the Department of State outside of the country.” This legally dubious reinterpretation of long‑standing immigration law is expected to face significant court challenges. Importantly, this memo does not apply to refugees, asylees, or those who already hold a green card, as it only affects applicants seeking adjustment under INA §245, which does not include most humanitarian pathways.

This announcement is intended as a scare tactic to dissuade people from applying for legal permanent residency. The Trump Administration’s new policy adds yet another hurdle to an already difficult process and represents a stark reversal of decades of precedent welcoming lawful immigration. CVRAN’s refugee, asylee, and asylum seeker clients are not affected by this memo and are not expected to return to unsafe countries of origin to apply for permanent residency. Please reach out to your attorney or to CVRAN for accurate guidance or with additional questions.

Starting May 29, 2026, the government says it can reject pending asylum applications if the applicant’s Annual Asylum Fee is not paid on time. CVRAN has worked over the last six months to ensure that all families with pending cases are aware of this fee and have paid it within 30 days of the anniversary of their case filing. Individuals with affirmative cases pending with USCIS can pay the fee here. Individuals with cases pending in EOIR (immigration court) can pay here. If you need help understanding these fees, please watch these videos or contact Ali at ali.zenie@cvran.org for more assistance.

Veteran CVRAN team leaders Diane Fitch, Pam Walker, and Judy Walke presented about what it means to be a team member and team leader for interested CVRAN volunteers on May 19th. We were elated to welcome about a dozen participants who showed up with good questions about how volunteer support teams work at CVRAN.

We’ll continue the conversation in Part 2 of this meeting on June 17th from 6–7:30 pm, and we warmly welcome anyone who wants to learn more about joining a support team.

We want to acknowledge two wonderful people who we lost recently. Scott Bassage and Terry Allen were beloved in Central VT and beyond for their passionate engagement and meaningful work. And both contributed to CVRAN in different ways.

Pam Walker describes, “Scott was a tireless and very reliable volunteer who drove asylum seekers to appointments, back and forth from Vergennes, and was always cheerful and willing to pitch in for unglamourous tasks.” He was known for his love of driving, so that was a natural way for him to volunteer. In addition to offering many rides, he helped an asylum seeker to prepare to pass his driving test and secure a driver’s license. They spent hours driving together, developing an enduring friendship. 

Rachel Cogbill describes, “Terry believed in social justice and used her talents as a photographer to highlight resistance, protest, humor, success, community, and hope.” She documented many CVRAN key moments, creating an archive that includes early refugee visits at the statehouse and with the governor, Mexican consulate events, an asylum celebration party, photos of lobbying at the statehouse with Migrant Justice, and many of the Migrant Justice actions and rallies at ICE check-ins at St. Albans.

Recent News

Community Highlights

This month brought so much joy at CVRAN: a beautiful birthday celebration for one of our moms, surrounded by her big, loving team of supporters; the donation of a used car to a client who has been waiting for reliable transportation to increase his job prospects; and the continued stories of success over at CVAE, where many CVRAN clients take classes with the incomparable Liza Earle-Centers. Eligible clients now receive stipends for consistent attendance, boosting enrollment and sparking real excitement for continuing education. Our community keeps showing up in such powerful ways!!

Volunteer Spotlight: Alex Sigrist

Alex is a long-time friend, neighbor, and collaborator of Ali’s. When she became CVRAN’s Executive Director, he told her to deploy him wherever we needed him most. He has been managing our email and helping CVRAN’s communication/administration for over a year. Ali says, “Alex is incredibly reliable, thoughtful, and detail-oriented. He is responsive when we need to send out urgent messages on short notice. He cares deeply about the work CVRAN does and is willing to do the invisible (and even boring) work to keep CVRAN running. He does it with a smile, cheering us on all the way.”

Favorite CVRAN moment: My first quarterly meeting. It was so wonderful to put names with faces and to meet some of the people this organization serves and those who volunteer in many different roles. It takes a village and seeing even some of that village together was so heartening!

TV show recommendation: The Pitt – working in medical education, no other medical drama compares, and it’s serious about social justice advocacy for patients and healthcare workers alike!

Favorite food: Beef bourguignon

Favorite thing to do in VT: Literally anything with a good view of the lake or the mountains. The natural beauty of this state never ceases to take my breath away and leave me rejuvenated.

Want To Help Out?

Here are some current volunteer needs from our Volunteer Coordinator, Isabelle Tibi:

Summer Camp Transportation Support: We’re looking for volunteers who can help get kids to and from summer camps over the coming weeks. Even one or two rides a week makes a real difference for families navigating complex schedules.

Childcare for Two Little Ones: A family in our network needs short-term, reliable childcare support for a toddler and his new baby sister. Volunteers can help by covering a morning or afternoon so parents can attend appointments and get a break now and again!

You’re Invited!

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