In 2024, as part of his Equal Justice Works Fellowship (sponsored by Baker McKenzie & Salesforce, Inc.), YLC attorney Christopher Middleton partnered with the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center (NMILC) to clear a critical legal backlog for youth seeking Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). These youth-who have faced abuse, neglect, or abandonment- need timely legal support to remain eligible for protection from negative immigration consequences, including deportation.
Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, created in 1990 by Congress with bipartisan support, is a humanitarian protection for undocumented children and youth who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned by a parent. In 2023, New Mexico passed the “Special Immigrant Juvenile Classification Act” which extended the age of eligibility to 21 for undocumented youth and children living in New Mexico to obtain special findings from state court judges and apply for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status. While this Act represented a significant advancement in safeguarding the rights and well-being of immigrant youth, it also resulted in a sharp increase in the demand for NMILC’s legal services and an ever-growing waitlist of vulnerable youth.
YLC coordinated pro bono support from EJW fellowship sponsors Baker McKenzie and Salesforce, Inc. to help NMILC file dozens of cases before the end of the year, ensuring youth didn’t age out of eligibility. The effort exemplified our commitment to legal access and responsive partnership.
Despite their trauma, these young people have dreams. They needed legal support to move forward—and we were honored to help provide it. – Christopher Middleton, YLC Equal Justice Works Fellow Sponsored by Baker McKenzie & Salesforce, Inc.