Immigrant Children’s Project Attorney Maggie Loeffelholz Featured in National Report

Immigrant Children’s Project Attorney Maggie Loeffelholz was featured in a new report from the End SIJS Backlog Coalition, a national group of directly impacted youth and allied advocates. Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SJIS) is a humanitarian protection that provides a pathway to legal status for young people up to age 21 who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected by one or both parents.

There is currently a years-long backlog in the SIJS process that leaves children and youth under the threat of deportation despite Congress’ intent when creating a rapid pathway to permanent protection for vulnerable immigrant children in 1990.

The “Any Day They Could Deport Me” report details the many negative impacts of this backlog on SIJS-approved youth, legal services attorneys, and the immigration court system. It also recommends steps that Congress and the Biden Administration can take to protect immigrant children and youth.