NMILC Partnership With UNM Law’s Child & Family Clinic Offers SIJS Trainings to Community Members & Legal Professionals

In June, Quiana Salazar-King, our Director of Community Engagement, and Monica Newcomer Miller, NMILC Supervising Attorney, gave a presentation on Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS)at the Child and Family Clinic hosted at the University of New Mexico School of Law. Through our partnership with UNM Law’s Child and Family Clinic, we inform students about the purpose of SIJS, its requirements, and how it has impacted our clients  and undocumented youth throughout the years. 

SIJS helps undocumented children who have been abandoned, abused or neglected by one or both of thier parents to apply for lawful permanent residence and open a pathway to citizenship. The state court predicate order, a vital component of SIJS litigation, makes sure the child is placed with a safe guardian to care for them with the authority to make medical and legal decisions on their behalf. 

In order to be eligible for SIJS relief, the child in question must be under the age of 21, be unmarried, cannot reunify with abusive parent, and cannot return to their country of origin if it is not in their best interest. Eligible candidates must not have committed certain crimes, and they must also be under the jurisdiction of a state juvenile court throughout the whole immigration process. 

There are three steps needed in order to turn a predicate order into a green card. First, a predicate order granted from a state court judge is needed so it can be included with SIJS application. Next, there must be a SIJS I-360 self-petition filed with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. A new list of forms and requirements is needed for this portion. It includes proof of age, a valid juvenile court order, written consent from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and a Form G-28, which is just a notice of entry of appearance as attorney. Our attorney’s at the NMILC are licenced to help with this step.  Lastly, there must be an adjustment of status application and our attorney’s can provide support for this as well. 

The NMILC gives this presentation three times a year or once a semester. It is a good resource for those who need a better understanding of the Special Immigration Juvenile Status process, and to clear up any confusion or misunderstandings about the program. These presentations allow us to communicate important information to the public and ensure that people understand the requirements and effects of the SIJS program.

Learn more about NMILC’s SIJS work here.

Written by Alessandra Silva, NMILC Summer 2021 Intern, Edited by Flaviano Graciano, NMILC Communications Manager