Special Juvenile Immigration Status

Legal representation for Immigrant Children in Need

Immigrant children with no legal status are disproportionately vulnerable to domestic violence. Many people mistakenly believe that nothing can be done to help undocumented minors in such terrible situations because of their status. However, this is not true.

A child with no legal status that has been abused, neglected or abandoned by their parent or parents can seek relief from this situation through a juvenile court.

The Special Immigrant Juvenile Status was created specifically to help immigrant minors without legal status find a safe way out of these harrowing situations. The Special Immigrant Juvenile Status is also a legal pathway to citizenship, as the recipients are immediately allowed to apply for permanent legal residency.

Getting the Special Immigrant Juvenile Status

In order to become a Special Immigrant Juvenile, a qualifying minor must file an application with USCIS after obtaining the corresponding juvenile court order.

A qualifying order must include the three following factors:

  • The minor cannot legally be reunited with their parent or parents due to abuse, neglect or abandonment.
  • The minor has been placed under the custody of the state, or the court has decided to appoint the custody of the minor to a specific entity, agency, department, or individual.
  • Returning to their country of origin is not in the best interest of the minor.

Additionally, an eligible minor must be under 21 years of age, unmarried, and currently living in the United States.

While helping children and minors in these situations is an urgent matter, these cases should never be approached without proper legal training, knowledge, and experience. Working with immigrant children that have been through traumatic events and are in need of legal counsel requires not only excellent skills as a lawyer, but genuine compassion, understanding and cultural sensitivity.

If you know an immigrant child or minor who is in a dangerous situation due to the actions of their parent or parents and would like to help, contacting a lawyer is the safest course of action. A professional legal expert will understand the complexities of the case, and put the safety of the child first. They will do everything in their power to get the child out of harm’s way and help them obtain legal status.

Attorney Dahlia Castillo has had the chance to help vulnerable young immigrants obtain Special Immigrant Juvenile Status. She’s prepared to fight for the right of young migrants to a life free of violence in the United States. Dahlia Castillo’s team is fluent in both Spanish and English, and we are committed to our mission of helping the migrant community, especially its most vulnerable members.

To us, legal aid is about helping people.