The Legal Orientation Program for Custodians of Unaccompanied Children
The Legal Orientation Program for
Custodians of Unaccompanied Children
Custodians of Unaccompanied Children
Nearly two million undocumented immigrant children live in the
United States today.
United States today.
Some came with their parents or relatives. Some came here alone. These children may be fleeing severe abuse or persecution; others may be victims of trafficking for forced prostitution or other illicit activities. Some come just to reunite with their parents or siblings. They all seek a safe haven and hope for justice.
Thousands of these children are detained by the U.S. government
every year and later are released into the custody of an adult. These custodians agree to take care of them and to make sure they attend their scheduled hearings before an immigration judge. But custodians
may not always fully understand what this responsibility entails, nor do they have all the tools to successfully make sure the kids appear in court and hopefully, receive the relief available to them under our immigration laws.
The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) awarded CLINIC a national contract in 2010 to help custodians better understand their role. CLINIC’s Legal Orientation Program for Custodians of Unaccompanied Children (LOPC) partners with local non profits in 13 cities (Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, Harlingen, Houston-Galveston, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.) who conduct the orientations and provide a local social service point of contact for the custodians and kids. Many of these partners are CLINIC’s long time affiliates.
CLINIC’S LOPC EDUCATES CUSTODIANS ON:
- The immigration court process and how it works
- The importance of the children’s attendance at removal hearings and consequences of failure to appear
- The forms of immigration relief available to children in removal proceedings
- The custodians’ responsibility to protect the children from mistreatment, exploitation, and human trafficking
No Child’s Game
