Pryor Cashman Associate Kamille Go, a member of the Immigration Group, partnered with NYC nonprofit South Bronx United (SBU) to represent pro bono a 16-year-old child from the Dominican Republic on a motion for special findings and petition for guardianship filed in Bronx County Family Court earlier this year. The child, whose father abandoned him at birth, attends high school in the Bronx and is a student of SBU's youth empowerment soccer program. After hearing testimony from the client and his mother, the court has ruled in favor of our client.

This victory sets him on a path to lawful permanent residence in the U.S. by enabling him to apply for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS).

The SIJS statute protects vulnerable youth who have been abandoned, abused, or neglected by one or both parents and for whom a state court has declared it would not be in their best interests to be returned to their country of origin. SIJS involves a hybrid legal process that requires collaboration between state and federal systems. To be eligible for this protection under federal immigration law, the minor seeking SIJS must first go through state court proceedings (family or juvenile court) to obtain a judicial determination under state law relating to their dependency or custody. In New York, this process typically requires multiple hearings and court filings with family court, including a motion for special findings and petition for guardianship. The court's order containing the required determinations regarding the child's custody/dependency will serve as the necessary basis for requesting this immigration relief.

Securing this win in family court marks a critical first step to pursuing the SIJS-based green card (legal permanent residency document). After 5 years as a permanent resident, he will be eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship.