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D was abused by his parents from a young age and forced to be a child laborer. Help D apply ...

  • Client Location: Brooklyn
  • Type of Relief: Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) + Asylum in Immigration Court

CLOSED

Facts: D is a twenty-year-old young man from Honduras who came to the U.S. to escape persecution on account of his political activity and violence both inside his home and in his community.  D grew up with his mother, father and four siblings and experienced abuse from an early age. He has always understood that his childhood was distinct from other children’s experiences. He never felt loved or cared for by his parents. When D was around 8 or 9 years old, his parents started using corporal punishment and when D finished primary school at age 13, his parents forced him to work full time as a construction worker. In his later teenage years, D became politically engaged.  D experienced discrimination on account of his membership in an ethnic minority group, Garifuna, and because of his race.  He was kidnapped and assaulted by a criminal gang and Honduran military police who held a gun to his head and demanded that he join the gang.  The following day D fled Honduras in fear for his life and has now reunited with a close family friend who he refers to as his uncle.

Legal Assessment: D is in removal proceedings and is eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), a visa for children who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected by a parent. This status will allow D to remain in the U.S. D may also have an asylum claim, and needs a dedicated pro bono attorney to fight for him before the local family court and the Immigration Court.

D is a Spanish-speaking client.

* A master calendar hearing (MCH) is the first appearance that happens in an immigration case. It is at this appearance that the Immigration Judge (IJ) accepts pleadings. For those who are familiar with criminal court, it has been likened procedurally to an arraignment.

Topics:
  • Family
  • Immigrant Children
  • Next Case Deadline
    02/11/2020
  • Estimated Time Commitment (Hours)
    • < 5
    • 5-10
    • 10-20
    • > 20
    • unknown
  • Mentor Available
  • Free Volunteer Training
  • Organization Provides Malpractice Insurance
  • Case Level / Appropriate For
    Beginner, Intermediate
  • Skills Developed
    Administrative hearing, Client advice and counseling, Client/witness interviewing, Cultural Competency, Legal research & writing
  • Venue where case will be heard
    USCIS, Kings County Family Court, Immigration Court