A young person using a megaphone.

Immigrant Youth

The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) is one of only a few technical assistance organizations nationally and in California with expertise on immigrant youth, including unaccompanied minor (UAC) issues. Undocumented immigrant children are an extremely vulnerable population, especially when they enter foster care, removal proceedings, and/or the juvenile justice system. The ILRC works to expand the rights of these immigrant children through policy and advocacy efforts, numerous in-person and webinar trainings, and case-specific assistance. We also write one of the only national publications addressing immigrant youth issues entitled, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status and Other Immigration Options for Children & Youth.

Many immigrant youth in the United States may be eligible to apply for lawful immigration status. One of the most common immigration options for immigrant youth is special immigrant juvenile status (SIJS), which is a pathway to a green card for immigrant children who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected by one or both of their parents. Other common forms of relief for children include U visas (for children who were victims of crimes), relief under the Violence Against Women Act (for children who were abused by a U.S. citizen or permanent resident parent or spouse), and asylum (for children who are afraid of returning to their home country).

Latest Resources

Public Comments / Sign-on Letters
Resources
Publication Date
07/24/2025
On July 24, 2025, the ILRC submitted a comment strongly opposing the government’s proposed changes to Form G-325A and related policies that end protections for three vulnerable groups: young people with Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), stateless individuals, and immigrant workers in the Deferred Action for Labor Enforcement (DALE) program.
Public Comments / Sign-on Letters
Resources
Publication Date
07/28/2025
The ILRC strongly opposes new U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policy changes that end deferred action for youth approved for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS).
Public Comments / Sign-on Letters
Resources
Publication Date
07/16/2025
On July 16, 2025, ILRC submitted a comment opposing a new U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policy that allows the agency to use “derogatory information” against immigration applicants without always disclosing it.
Public Comments / Sign-on Letters
Resources
Publication Date
07/07/2025
On July 7, 2025, the ILRC submitted a comment opposing a new federal rule that changes how the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) handles unaccompanied children.
FAQs & Explainers
Resources
Publication Date
07/28/2025
Since taking office in January 2025, the Trump administration has aggressively prioritized immigration enforcement and revoked many longstanding protections from prior administrations, including one preventing enforcement action in certain sensitive locations.

Despite the administration’s many attempts to deprive immigrants of their constitutional and legal rights, everyone, regardless of immigration status, has certain constitutional protections and a right to a free public education.

In this Resource Toolkit, we will address recent changes affecting students and school campuses and what students, parents and caregivers, and school administrators can do to prepare for immigration enforcement action at schools while highlighting the constitutional protections that remain a pillar of our democracy.
FAQs & Explainers
Resources
Publication Date
07/16/2025
Community members across the country are reporting visits from immigration and other federal officers seeking to meet with certain children who entered the United States unaccompanied. These children are often referred to as “unaccompanied children” (UCs) because at the time they were arrested by immigration (such as crossing the border), they were not with a parent or legal guardian. Although these visits are sometimes described as “wellness checks,” they are part of a broader, coordinated effort to locate and deport some vulnerable young people and their sponsors. It is crucial for families and immigrant communities to stay informed, exercise their rights, and seek legal support when needed.
Practice Advisory
Resources
Publication Date
07/01/2025
In recent months, the Department of Homeland Security has begun filing thousands of motions to recalendar administratively closed proceedings. This trend is raising questions about how attorneys and accredited representatives can respond to these motions and protect their clients’ interests, particularly in cases that have been administratively closed for many years. This advisory explores those questions and offers strategy considerations when determining how to proceed in each case.
Practice Advisory
Resources
Publication Date
04/17/2025
The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 confers initial jurisdiction over asylum claims filed by unaccompanied children (UCs) to the asylum office. The Board of Immigration Appeals’ decision in Matter of M-A-C-O-, along with policy changes implemented during the first Trump administration, sought to strip away this crucial protection from many child asylum seekers. Because of these changes and legal challenges by immigrant youth advocates, the current landscape of initial UC asylum jurisdiction has changed. This practice advisory provides an overview of the current state of UC asylum jurisdiction following the Matter of M-A-C-O- decision and the outcome of the JOP v. DHS litigation. It also offers some arguments and practical tips to help practitioners advocate for their UC clients to receive the statutory protections afforded by the TVPRA, as well as the benefits from the JOP v. DHS litigation.
FAQs & Explainers
Resources
Publication Date
04/11/2025
The Trump administration’s Registration requirement for most undocumented immigrants is another hateful tactic in its campaign to cause panic and fear throughout the country. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been clear that the central purpose of Registration is to gather information about all noncitizens and use this information to locate, apprehend and remove them as quickly as possible. The new registration requirement took effect April 11, 2025.