Setting a Vulnerable Young Client on her Way to College

Curtis has been representing a young Malian client in her application for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), an immigration classification for undocumented juveniles who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned by one or both parents. It provides a pathway for undocumented juveniles to obtain lawful permanent residence in the United States (a green card).

The first step was to litigate a guardianship petition for our client in Brooklyn Family Court, in late 2017, which handed down a “special findings order” that declared her eligible to apply for SIJS. The next step was helping her with her submission for SIJS and lawful permanent residence, which was adjudicated by the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services. Our client hopes to go to college in the United States and eventually to become an accountant.