Every year thousands of unaccompanied children are released by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) into the custody of a custodian. The custodian becomes responsible for the child's welfare and is responsible for ensuring the minor’s presence at all future proceedings before the immigration court.
In 2010, CLINIC was awarded a contract by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) to help custodians and potential custodians better understand their role, responsibilities, and the immigration court process. Currently, CLINIC offers the Legal Orientation Program for Custodians of Unaccompanied Children (LOPC) in New York, Los Angeles, Houston-Galveston, and Harlingen, Texas.
CLINIC will also work with legal service organizations in 9 additional cities across the country to conduct these presentations, including Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Miami, Newark, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
The Legal Orientation Program for Custodians of Unaccompanied Children 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; and
- The custodians' responsibility to protect the children from mistreatment, exploitation, and human trafficking.
To find a legal service provider that offers Legal Orientation Presentations near you, please click on the map below.
For more information about the project, contact Miriam Crespo, Project Attorney at mcrespo@cliniclegal.org or 202-756-5538. For inquiries about the online scheduling system, please contact Anita Drever, PhD, at adrever@cliniclegal.org or 202-756-2762.