Facts: S is an 18-year-old woman from Ecuador who came to the U.S. to reunite with her sister. S’s father left the family when she was just two years old. Prior to his death, he had never met S in person and only spoke to her by phone 1 or 2 times. S’s mother has been unable to provide adequate care since S was 15, requiring S to quit school and seek employment as a seamstress. S worked for three years in an apparel factory while attending night school to financially support herself and her mother. After S became pregnant, the father of the child declared that he would not provide financial support to S and the baby nor participate in the child’s life. Knowing that it would be impossible to support her growing family on her factory salary, S traveled to the U.S. to reunite with her sister who was settled in New York with a stable long-term partner. S gave birth to a baby daughter, B, while in immigration detention. S and her sister are quite close and S has joined her sister on her house cleaning shifts to contribute financially to the household. S is determined to build a better life in the U.S. for herself and her daughter and wants to deepen her artisanal seamstress skills by pursuing degrees in business and fashion design. 

Legal Assessment: S 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 S to remain in the U.S. with her sister and daughter. S needs a volunteer attorney to fight her case before the Rockland County Family Court and the Immigration Court.

S is a Spanish speaking client.