CILA is a project of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Commission on Immigration (COI). “The Commission directs the Association’s efforts to ensure fair treatment and full due process rights for immigrants, asylum-seekers, and refugees within the United States,” as stated on the COI webpage.
During the 2021 ABA Midyear meeting held in February, the ABA House of Delegates adopted two immigration related resolutions. The COI along with several other entities sponsored Resolution 103A that focuses on protecting children and young adults, who have been approved Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status, from removal. The second resolution primarily sponsored by the COI is Resolution 103B. The ABA Journal covered the House of Delegates’ action in an article, “ABA House of Delegates calls for changes in country’s immigration system.” The article covers both immigration related resolutions.
CILA’s Director Dalia Castillo-Granados authored a blog post, “A Long Wait for Special Immigrant Juveniles Means a Risk of Deportation,” on February 24, 2021 in the COI’s new blog, Generating Justice: Immigration Reflections from the Border and Beyond. The blog post describes the policy resolution and highlights the need for the resolution.
The blog states, “Congressional intent for SIJ beneficiaries is clear. A child or young adult lacking sufficient care and support in their home country should not be deported. SIJ status creates a pathway to permanency through a green card, and children in line with approved petitions should not be punished by a backlog of cases.” With the adoption of the policy resolution, the ABA urges Congress and the Administration to protect SIJ beneficiaries from removal from the United States.
CILA invites you to read Dalia’s blog post to learn more about the policy resolution and issue. Additionally, read more of the COI’s blog.