Resources

Immigration Status and Relief Options

By | CICW Toolkits, Handbooks, Guides & Books, ICE, Immigrant Youth, Immigration Enforcement, Immigration Relief, Legal/Law, Practice, Resources, Social Work, Social Workers, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), Toolkits, Handbooks, Guides & Books

Immigration Status and Relief Options

A Social Worker’s Toolkit for Working With Immigrant Families

(Updated June 2015)

This toolkit provides a basic overview of the dynamics of the U.S. immigration system as it impacts children and families in the child welfare system. The toolkit includes practical appendices with resources for accessing vital documents, facilitating communication between child welfare and immigration legal counsel, and a summary of immigration relief options applicable to youth in care.

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CICW Statement on Immigration Executive Actions

By | Child Well-Being, Immigrant Youth, Immigration Enforcement, Immigration Relief, Policy Briefs & Analyses

CICW Statement on Immigration Executive Actions

A Product of the CICW Law & Policy Committee (May 2015)

In this position statement, the CICW acknowledges its support for the Obama administration’s expanded deferred action programs and outlines the ways in which expanded deferred action can promote the well-being of children in immigrant families.

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Unaccompanied Child Migration to the United States: The Tension between Protection and Prevention

By | Child Abuse/Neglect Prevention, Child Well-Being, Detention, Immigrant Youth, Immigration Relief, Legal/Law, Research, Resources, Safety, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

Unaccompanied Child Migration to the United States: The Tension between Protection and Prevention

 Marc R. Rosenblum, Migration Policy Institute (April 2015)

This report explores the patterns of Central American migration from 2011 to 2014, analyzes the related policy challenges, and provides recommendations of appropriate U.S. and regional policy responses.

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Removing Insecurity: How American Children Will Benefit From President Obama’s Executive Action on Immigration

By | Child Well-Being, Immigrant Families Research, Immigrant Youth, Immigration Enforcement, Immigration Relief, Legal/Law, Research, Resources

Removing Insecurity: How American Children Will Benefit From President Obama’s Executive Action on Immigration

Roberto Suro, Marcelo M. Suarez-Orozco, and Stephanie L. Canizales; Tomas Rivera Policy Institute, University of Southern California, and Institute for Immigration, Globalization, & Education, University of California at Los Angeles (April 2015)

This report highlights the potential of President Obama’s proposed Deferred Action to Parents of American Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents program (DAPA) to promote the physical, emotional, and economic well-being of U.S. citizen children of undocumented immigrant parents.

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Language Access

By | Child Well-Being, Culture: Issues & Competencies, Immigrant Youth, Language Issues, Policy Briefs & Analyses

Language Access

Alan J. Dettlaff, PhD & Caitlin O’Grady, MSW (March 2015)

This brief focuses on language access policies. Research suggests that when child welfare-system involved families do not have access to linguistically appropriate services, successful completion of their case plan is impeded. Language access policies address this issue by outlining agency protocol to ensure that limited English proficient (LEP) families receive appropriate interpretation and translation services.

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Immigration Relief Options for Undocumented Youth in Care

By | Immigrant Youth, Immigration Relief, Policy Briefs & Analyses

Immigration Relief Options for Undocumented Youth in Care

Alan J. Dettlaff, PhD & Caitlin O’Grady, MSW (March 2015)

This brief focuses on policies that address immigration relief options for undocumented immigrant youth involved with the child welfare system. Undocumented youth face barriers in accessing services, including educational and employment opportunities, that can have long-term negative impacts on their well-being. Recognizing the challenges that undocumented youth experience in accessing services and opportunities, the policies in this category aim to reduce these barriers by ensuring that child welfare practitioners are aware of available opportunities for youth to gain legal status. The policies discussed throughout this brief both provide staff with an overview of immigration relief options and offer guidance to staff on how they can provide assistance throughout the application process.

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Financial Eligibility including Permanent Residence Under Color of Law (PRUCOL)

By | Child Well-Being, Immigrant Youth, Immigration Relief, Policy Briefs & Analyses

Financial Eligibility including Permanent Residence Under Color of Law (PRUCOL)

Alan J. Dettlaff, PhD & Caitlin O’Grady, MSW (March 2015)

This brief focuses on issues related to foster care funding for immigrant youth in care. Undocumented immigrant youth are typically not eligible for federal foster care funding, which may pose challenges for child welfare practitioners. In response to these challenges, the policies in this brief provide guidance to child welfare agency staff on obtaining foster care funds for immigrant youth. Included are policies that outline the procedure for applying for Permanent Residence Under Color of Law (PRUCOL) for undocumented minors. PRUCOL is not an immigration relief option, but rather a process through which undocumented children and youth become eligible for federal foster care funding.

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Child migrants face new crisis: Uneven justice. Children without lawyers, or in particular states, are much more likely to face removal orders, a POLITICO analysis finds.

By | In the News

Child migrants face new crisis: Uneven justice. Children without lawyers, or in particular states, are much more likely to face removal orders, a POLITICO analysis finds.

Politico (March 5, 2015)

A POLITICO analysis of government data shows that fully 88 percent of the removal orders issued since July have gone to children without an attorney. What’s more, a juvenile assigned to judges in Texas, North Carolina and Georgia in the past 16 months was at least three times more likely to receive such an order than a child in California, Florida or New York.

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Placement of Children with Undocumented Relatives in the United States

By | Immigrant Youth, Kinship Care, Policy Briefs & Analyses, Social Work

Placement of Children with Undocumented Relatives in the United States

Alan J. Dettlaff, PhD & Caitlin O’Grady, MSW (February 2015)

This brief focuses on policies that address the placement of dependent children with undocumented relatives living in the United States. Although research has found that placing children with relative caregivers can enhance emotional wellbeing, research also suggests that child welfare practitioners often encounter barriers when attempting to place children with undocumented relatives. The policies in this category attempt to reduce these barriers and make placement with undocumented relatives a viable option in cases where such placement is in the best interest of the child in custody.

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Case Planning for Parents Residing in a Foreign Country

By | Family Separation, Immigration Enforcement, Parenting, Policy Briefs & Analyses, State Policies

Case Planning for Parents Residing in a Foreign Country

Alan J. Dettlaff, PhD & Caitlin O’Grady, MSW (February 2015)

This brief focuses on policies that address case planning for child welfare system-involved parents residing in a foreign country. Parents face multiple barriers to fulfilling case plan objectives when residing abroad, which in turn poses barriers to family reunification. Policies addressing case planning for parents residing in a foreign country aim to facilitate the process through which child welfare agencies and parents can collaborate transnationally in these cases.

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Examining the UAC-DACA Link: New Data Show Child Migrant Crisis Began Before DACA

By | Child Well-Being, Immigrant Youth, Immigration Enforcement, Immigration Relief, Research, Resources, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

Examining the UAC-DACA Link: New Data Show Child Migrant Crisis Began Before DACA

Dave Bier, Niskanen Center (February 9, 2015)

This study analyzes newly available data, showing that the massive increase in unaccompanied alien children (UACs) began before DACA was even announced in June 2012.

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What Kind of Welcome? Integration of Central American Unaccompanied Children into Local Communities

By | Child Well-Being, Culture: Issues & Competencies, Immigrant Youth, Practice, Research, Resources, Social Workers, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

What Kind of Welcome? Integration of Central American Unaccompanied Children into Local Communities

Elżbieta M. Goździak, Director of Research, Institute for the Study of International Migration at Georgetown University (February 2015)

A report on the history and current reality of child migration as well as implications for working with these populations and for future research.

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Emerging Issues in State-Based Immigration Reform

By | Immigrant Youth, Immigration Relief, Legal Professionals, Legal/Law, Practice, Resources, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), State Policies, Unaccompanied Minors

Emerging Issues in State-Based Immigration Reform

The Government Law Center, Albany Law School, 2015 Warren M. Anderson Legislative Breakfast Series (February 2015)

View the recording of the Albany Law School’s 2015 Warren M. Anderson Breakfast Seminar and access supplementary materials about state-based immigration reform, including information on unaccompanied minors, state benefits and state-issued identification documents for immigrants, and state support for immigrant legal services.

View Seminar Recording Access Supplementary Materials

Case Planning and Service Delivery for Families with Parents and Legal Guardians Who Are Detained or Deported By Immigration Enforcement

By | Immigration Enforcement, Practice, Resources, Social Workers

Case Planning and Service Delivery for Families with Parents and Legal Guardians Who Are Detained or Deported By Immigration Enforcement

Information Memorandum

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth, and Families (February 2015)

This Memorandum provides information to child welfare practitioners, including information on best practice considerations, to assist them in addressing the needs of children and families where parents are at risk of, or are, being detained or deported.

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Healing the Damage: Trauma and Immigrant Families in the Child Welfare System

By | Child Abuse/Neglect Prevention, Child Maltreatment, CICW Publications, CICW Toolkits, Handbooks, Guides & Books, Family Violence, Immigrant Youth, Practice, Resources, Social Work, Social Workers, Toolkits, Handbooks, Guides & Books, Trauma

Healing the Damage: Trauma and Immigrant Families in the Child Welfare System

A Social Worker’s Toolkit for Working With Immigrant Families

(Updated February 2015)

This toolkit provides public child welfare and community-based agencies working with immigrant families guidelines for integrating child welfare practice – from engagement to case closure – with trauma-informed care and trauma-specific services. In addition, the tool kit describes strategies to build an organization’s capacity to better respond to the needs of immigrant families exposed to child maltreatment, domestic and community violence, and other traumatic stresses.

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Special Provisions for Immigrant Youth: A Model State Statute

By | Federal Policy, Immigrant Youth, Immigration Relief, Law & Policy, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS)

Special Provisions for Immigrant Youth: A Model State Statute

American Friends Service Committee, Fordham Law School, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, and Rutgers University School of Law (February 2015)

This resource proposes model statutory language for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) legislation, with the aim of promoting both uniformity across jurisdictions and the right of all SIJS-eligible immigrant children to access their state court systems.

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Childhood and Migration in Central and North America: Causes, Policies, Practices and Challenges

By | Culture: Issues & Competencies, Family Separation, Immigrant Youth, Legal/Law, Toolkits, Handbooks, Guides & Books, Training & Tools, Unaccompanied Minors

Childhood and Migration in Central and North America: Causes, Policies, Practices and Challenges

Center for Gender & Refugee Studies and Migration & Asylum Program Justice and Human Rights Center (February 2015)

This  book analyzes the conditions for children and adolescents in Central and North America who are affected by migration throughout every stage of the process, including in their countries of origin, during transit, in destination countries, and following repatriation.

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In-Country Refugee/Parole Processing for Minors in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala (Central American Minors – CAM)

By | Federal Policy, Immigrant Youth, Immigration Relief, Law & Policy, Unaccompanied Minors

In-Country Refugee/Parole Processing for Minors in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala (Central American Minors – CAM)

Office of Refugee Resettlement (January 30, 2015)

Provides information about the Central American Minors Refugee/Parole Program which is implemented by the Department of State.

Read about Program

Guidelines for Detention Center Personnel Working with Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Minor

By | Child Well-Being, Detention, Immigrant Youth, Legal Professionals, Practice, Trauma, Unaccompanied Minors

Guidelines for Detention Center Personnel Working with Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Minor

National Latina/o Psychological Association (January 2015)

A set of guidelines for individuals who work in detention centers and specifically with unaccompanied minors. The guidelines are organized by areas that contribute to the overall mental health and well-being of minors.

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