The information in this blog post is current as of April 4, 2025.
CILA, along with our partners at the End SIJS Backlog Coalition, the National Immigration Project, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, and Safe Passage Project, authored a new practice advisory, “Quick Guide: Defending SIJS Clients in Removal Proceedings.” This practice advisory offers strategies at every stage of an SIJS client’s removal proceedings to advocate against the client’s removal and to preserve the record for appeal, including strategies for pleading to the Notice to Appear, challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s evidence of removability, and arguments that can be made once removability has been established to avoid removal and/or preserve the best record for appeal. The guide also offers strategies after an immigration judge has ordered removal, detention issues that SIJS youth may face, and risk mitigation strategies for SIJS clients who may be vulnerable to expanded expedited removal.
The resource is available here. You will need a free CILA account to access it. Sign up for an account here. Contact CILA at cila@abacila.org if you need additional assistance accessing this resource.