FREE Webinars Focusing on Immigration Issues

The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges is hosting a two-part webinar series exploring the complexities that arise when working with immigrant families.  The webinars are designed as a conversation and learning opportunity for child welfare personnel, legal professionals, advocates, and other community members working with immigrant populations.

Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) Status -- What Judicial Officers and Court Stakeholders Need to Know
Presented by Casey Family Programs, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) and the NCJFCJ
Date: Monday, December 15, 2014
Time: 9am to 10am PST / Noon to 1pm EST
Cost: FREE
Register HERE

Eileen Matuszak of USCIS will give a brief description of SIJ status and respond to SIJ questions frequently asked by the courts. This presentation will provide an opportunity for judges to ask general SIJ questions of the federal agency responsible for administering the SIJ program. Additionally, Angie Junck of the ILRC will present information on newly enacted state laws addressing SIJ issues. Lastly, Elizabeth Thornton of Casey Family Programs will describe strategies and tools used to raise awareness of the SIJ program with state child welfare agencies and juvenile court judges. 

Immigrant Families -- How to Best Serve Them 
Presented by Casey Family Program, the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law and the NCJFCJ
Date: Thursday, December 18, 2014
Time: Noon to 1pm PST / 3pm to 4pm EST
Cost: FREE
Register HERE

Andrew Lorenzen-Strait of ICE will explain the Facilitating Parental Interests in the Course of Civil Immigration Enforcement Activities Directive  (also known as the Parental Interest Directive). Mr. Lorenzen-Strait will describe how ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) field offices handle family court cases, as well as how courts can collaborate with ICE to help facilitate participation by parents in child welfare cases. Additionally, Kevonne Small of DOJ will discuss Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its application to dependency courts and child welfare agencies, and will discuss how court and child welfare agency responses to immigrant parents may implicate this law. Lastly, Cristina Cooper of the ABA will describe steps states can take to mitigate some of the barriers faced by immigrant families involved in the child welfare system, as well as discuss what falls under the purview of the current federal and state laws. 

Information Regarding Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors

The following was an email sent out by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service:

Dear Stakeholder:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is providing an email address for juvenile courts and child welfare professionals to submit general questions about the Special Immigrant Juvenile Program. You can also submit requests for a USCIS representative to talk to your organization about the program. The address is: USCIS-IGAOutreach@uscis.dhs.gov.

Note: Please do not submit case-specific inquiries to this email address. For inquiries about specific cases, call the USCIS National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283. The TTY number (for deaf or hard of hearing) is 1-800-767-1833.

Background

Some foreign-born children present in the United States may qualify for humanitarian immigration protection because they have been abused, abandoned or neglected by a parent. Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status is a classification that may allow a vulnerable child to immediately apply for status as a lawful permanent resident.

SIJ classification is unique in that specific state court findings are required in order for USCIS to determine eligibility. The juvenile court makes factual findings (based on state law) concerning the care, custody and best interests of the child.

Additional Resources

The following information and resources about SIJ status are available at www.uscis.gov:

*        Immigration Relief for Abused Children: Information for Juvenile Court Judges, Child Welfare Workers, and Others Working with Abused Children  (Brochure)

*        Special Immigrant Juvenile Status: Information for Child Welfare Workers  (Flier)

*        Special Immigrant Juvenile Status: Information for Juvenile Courts  (Flier)


Kind Regards,

USCIS Public Engagement Division

Finding Family Across Borders

The Keynote Address at the Court Improvement Summit last week was Dr. Felicity Sackville Northcott, the Director of External Partnerships and International Services with International Social Service-USA (ISS-USA).  Dr. Northcott spoke about the importance of finding family for children in state custody even when that means going outside of the United States.

The ISS-USA is great resource if you need some helping looking for a kinship placement outside the United States or need to have a home assessment done.  Below is a flyer with their various services or you can check out their website.

Do you have many cross-border cases?  Would a training on best practices for international child welfare cases be valuable?