What is SIJS?
Immigrant Legal Resource Center (January 12, 2022)
This flyer provides a brief overview of what SIJS is, eligibility requirements, and benefits that are provided to those who qualify.
The psychological effects of forced family separation on asylum-seeking children and parents at the US-Mexico border: A qualitative analysis of medico-legal documents
Kathryn Hampton, Elsa Raker, Hajar Habbach, Linda Camaj Deda, Michele Heisler, and Ranit Mishori; PLOS ONE (November 24, 2021)
This study explored narratives from parents and children separated as a result of the Trump administration’s zero tolerance policy. Data indicated significant negative mental health outcomes even after reunification.
Factsheet: The Department of Homeland Security’s “Protected Areas” Memorandum
National Immigration Law Center (November 17, 2021)
This factsheet reviews the Department of Homeland Security’s new “Protected Areas” memo.
Toolkit – Latino Grandfamilies: Helping Latino Children Thrive Through Connection to Culture and Family
Generations United (November 21, 2021)
This new toolkit provides resources and tips to child welfare agencies, other government agencies, and nonprofit organizations so that they can better serve Latino grandfamilies regardless of child welfare involvement.
The Invisible Work of Family, Friend, and Neighbor Caregivers and its Importance for Immigrant and Dual Language Learner Families
Maki Park & Jasmine Flores Pena, Migration Policy Institute (December 2021)
This brief reviews the importance of family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) care for immigrant and dual language learner families and the barriers these caregivers encounter in accessing public subsidies and other supportive resources. It also provides recommendations to improve support of FFN caregivers.
Working with Immigrant Children and Families Involved in the State Child Welfare System
American Bar Association, Children’s Immigration Law Academy (2021)
This webinar series reviews best practice for attorneys when working with child welfare system involved immigrant children and families, focusing on the different roles of the child welfare agency, the child’s attorney, and the parent’s attorney.
KIND and the End SIJS Backlog Coalition Endorse the Immigrant Victim and Witness Protection Act of 2021 (H.R. 6078)
Kids in Need of Defense [KIND] (December 16, 2021)
This policy brief provides background and an overview of the recently introduced Immigrant Victim and Witness Protection Act, which would remove the annual limit on visas for SIJS recipients and provide important protections to immigrant survivors of trafficking, domestic violence, and other harms.
“Any Day They Could Deport Me”: Over 44,000 Immigrant Children Trapped in the SIJS Backlog
Rachel Leya Davidson and Laila L. Hlass, End SIJS Backlog Coalition and The Door (November 2021)
This report documents the extent and ramifications of the SIJS backlog and offers recommendations for addressing the backlog and providing protection to this vulnerable population of children.
Strengthening Border Families: Frontline Practitioner Perspectives on Service Access for Immigrant Families with Young Children in Doña Ana County, NM
Megan Finno-Velasquez, Sophia Sepp, Vanessa Mendoza, and Anayeli Lopez; Center on Immigration and Child Welfare (December 2021)
This report details the findings and recommendations from the second phase of the Strengthening Border Families study, which elicited the perspectives of frontline practitioners who serve immigrant families across a variety of service settings in the community about the accessibility and quality of services for immigrant families with young children in the Doña Ana County.
Immigration Profiles: State Immigration Policy and Children’s Well-being
Dr. Chloe East, Dr. James Bacjmeier, Joseph Stinson & Susi Martinez, National Center for Children in Poverty (November 2021)
This research report looks at public benefit programs by state and assesses the effects that parental immigration status requirements have on a child’s ability to access these programs.
