Story thread · 5 reports / 5 sources

Immigrant children could face court hearings without lawyers, Chicago attorneys warn

nbcchicago.com · 11dShare

New concerns have emerged from immigration attorneys that about 26,000 vulnerable immigrant children across the nation could face deportations — without lawyers to represent them in court. On Friday, two Illinois members of Congress, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and Rep. Bill Foster, toured a shelter that houses about 20 unaccompanied children who fled bad situations in their home countries. Durbin said his visit with unaccompanied minors is one he’ll remember for a long time. “These kids have been abused. They have been neglected. They’ve been abandoned. They’ve been trafficked. And this agency is trying to give them a life,” Durbin said. The children’s attorney, Laura Smith, said recent Department of Justice policy changes leave the children at risk of deportation, even though she believes they qualify for a protection created by Congress called Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, which would give them a pathway to citizenship. “The children walk into court thinking, ‘ICE is going to take me

First report: Inside the NYC Courtroom Where Detained Children Face Deportation Without Attorneys — thecity.nyc, 11d