We conduct age-appropriate and culturally competent “Know Your Rights” presentations to children in facilities managed by ORR to ensure they understand their rights while in the facility and after their release.
Children’s Program
Through free legal counsel, educational materials, and social services, our Children’s Program works with immigrant children detained by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) at juvenile facilities in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
Our approach
How we work with children through the legal process and beyond.
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Legal services
We offer free “Know Your Rights” presentations, legal consultations, court accompaniment, and more to children who are detained in local ORR facilities.
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Direct representation
We represent all children we meet at local shelters who stay in local programs, as well as those who are released from the local shelters who reunify locally in areas where we provide services
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Social services
We connect the children we represent and their caregivers with resources in their communities to holistically address their needs beyond the scope of their legal case.
Legal services
Connecting children and their families with legal resources.
Our staff provides client-centered services to help children and their families navigate the complexity of the U.S. immigration system and beyond.
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Using trauma-informed practices, we have one on one conversations with children to assess for legal relief and help them better understand their legal options.
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When children are released outside of our service areas, we connect them to legal service providers in their local communities.
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We accompany all children who have a court hearing while detained, so no child has to attend a hearing alone.
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Children arriving in the United States on their own are often seeking safety and protection. Many of the children with whom we work qualify for various forms of relief, such as asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, and visas designated for survivors of crimes and trafficking. We work together with children and their caregivers to help them secure permanent legal status, stability, and security in their new communities.
Direct representation
Everybody deserves quality legal counsel.
That’s why our dedicated team of attorneys, paralegals, and pro bono partners works to provide high-quality legal representation to children.
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In-house counsel
We offer robust free legal representation to children we meet in local shelters, who stay in local programs, or who are released in the areas where we work.
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Pro bono partners
To leverage in-house capacity and provide high-quality direct legal representation, we partner with law firms, corporate legal departments, and law school clinics to place client cases.
The extra mile
We support our clients holistically.
Our team plays a vital role in our holistic approach to client support. By providing referrals to local resources, they ensure every client has what they need to build a happy and healthy life. From healthcare, to educational resources, to case management—we tailor our approach to best meet the needs of our young clients.
Stories of impact
Our clients come first. Always.
From assisting people seeking asylum to reuniting families, we strive to ensure everyone navigating the immigration system feels safe and supported. Here are some stories from people we have been honored to work with over the years.
More programs
Explore more of our nationally recognized work to see how we’re creating a more just immigration system and ensuring people who are detained have access to due process and expert direct legal representation.
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