It is difficult to imagine a more vulnerable individual than a young immigrant who has lost one, or both, of their parents. The vulnerability of these children was recognized by Congress over thirty years ago when Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (“SIJS”) was established as a pathway to lawful permanent residency (and eventually, citizenship if additional requirements are met). In particular, this special status aims to protect immigrant children who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected by a parent and cannot be reunified with them.

New Jersey, home to the second-largest population of children from immigrant families in the nation, sees far too many of these children having to navigate the complicated legal process on their own, or worse, miss out on applying for SIJS status because they have no one to help them. To help meet this need and provide life-changing assistance to immigrant children in New Jersey, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) is excited to announce the expansion of our Children’s Representation Program to handle SIJS cases.