Special Immigrant Juvenile Status Overview
ABA Children’s Immigration Law Academy (2023)
This cheat sheet provides an overview of SIJS process and eligibility requirements.
New Director and Institutional Home
We are excited to announce the transition of the directorship of the CICW from the School of Social Work at New Mexico State University to the School of Social Welfare at the University of California, Berkeley under the leadership of Dr. Kristina Lovato beginning January 2024. Over the last seven years in New Mexico, the CICW has been dedicated to resource development and dissemination, training and technical assistance, and original research on the various issues impacting child welfare system involved immigrant children and families, while also engaging local and state leaders and policy makers toward improving the well-being of children in immigrant families in New Mexico. We look forward to new opportunities for the Center to build upon its mission of improving programs and policies related to immigrant children and families involved in the public child welfare system at UC Berkeley.
Dr. Kristina Lovato, Assistant Professor of Social Welfare at UC Berkeley, will assume the role of director of the CICW. She has over 12 years of clinical experience serving diverse families as a bilingual child welfare social worker, child therapist, and school-based mental health clinician, and her current work focuses on enhancing Latinx child and family well-being particularly among immigrant families at risk of immigration enforcement and/or public child welfare involvement. She has also been a strong supporter and partner of the CICW’s work, including on several recent studies on how child welfare systems are serving immigrant children and families. With her rich professional experience and dedication to uplifting the voices and experiences of immigrant families in all facets of her work, we can’t think of anyone better to lead the CICW into this new chapter. Please join us in offering a warm welcome to Kristina as she assumes this new role!
Webinar Recording and Resources Now Available!
The recording and resources from the CICW’s recent webinar on Supporting the Legal Needs of Immigrant Children in Foster Care are now available on our website here or may be accessed below:
One in Four Adults in Mixed-Status Families Did Not Participate in Safety Net Programs in 2022 Because of Green Card Concerns
Dulce Gonzalez & Hamutal Bernstein, Urban Institute (August 17, 2023)
This research founds that immigrant families continued to avoid safety net programs in 2022 due to immigration concerns.
Opportunities for Welcome: Lessons Learned for Supporting People Seeking Asylum in Chicago, Denver, New York City, and Portland, Maine
Women’s Refugee Commission (November 30, 2023)
Informed by research in NYC; Portland, Maine; Denver; and Chicago, this report provides recommendations on policies and practices to support people seeking asylum and other vulnerable populations.
False Hopes: Over 100,000 Immigrant Youth Trapped in the SIJS Backlog
Rachel Leya Davidson, Laila L. Hlass, Katia Leiva, and Gabriela Cruz; End SIJS Backlog Coalition (December 2023)
This report, informed by new data from USCIS through FOIA litigation, reviews the growing SIJS backlog and highlights first-hand stories of SIJS youth on its impact.
Decreasing ORR’s Dependence on Congregate Care: Four Recommendations for Progress
Women’s Refugee Commission (August 9, 2023)
This policy brief highlights four key recommendations to improve care for unaccompanied minors in ORR custody and move away from congregate care settings.
No Fair Day: The Biden Administration’s Treatment of Children in Immigration Court
UCLA School of Law, Center for Immigration Law & Policy (December 2023)
This white paper provides a thorough assessment of the Biden administration’s policies for children facing removal in immigration court.
Explainer: Biden’s Proposed Regulations On The Care Of Unaccompanied Children In Federal Custody
The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights (December 5, 2023)
This explainer reviews the recent Biden administration notice for proposed rulemaking related to the care of unaccompanied minors in ORR custody and highlights advocates’ recommendations.
Supporting Kinship Families of Unaccompanied Immigrant Children
Generations United, Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network (2023)
This tip sheet provides an overview of unaccompanied minors and important considerations for supporting the kinship families who care for them upon release from ORR.
