Overview

The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights helps unaccompanied and separated immigrant children in the U.S. by providing independent Child Advocates who act as guardians ad litem in immigration proceedings. These Advocates, often bilingual and bicultural, meet with each child regularly and, under the supervision of attorneys and social workers, gather the child’s story and make official recommendations about the child’s best interests to immigration judges and asylum officers. The organization also conducts policy advocacy, strategic litigation, and technical assistance to improve how the immigration system treats children, and it provides all services free of charge through donations and grants. Its goal is to ensure each child’s best interests are recognized and protected in removal and asylum processes, while pushing for systemic reforms in immigration policy and practice.