The information in this blog post is current as of June 3, 2026.
CILA has updated two critical resources for youth with Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). Youth with approved SIJS petitions must wait years before they move to the final step in the process of filing an application for adjustment of status. Given recent immigration enforcement efforts, a growing number of youth with SIJS who are waiting in the visa backlog are at risk of detention and/or receiving a removal order before they can obtain permanency in the United States.
CILA and our partners at the End SIJS Backlog Coalition and the National Immigration Project updated the “Template Motion: Defending SIJS Clients in Removal Proceedings.” This resource provides an adaptable template for practitioners representing SIJS youth awaiting visa availability that contains arguments to avoid a removal order or preserve issues for appeal.
CILA, along with the End SIJS Backlog Coalition, the National Immigration Project, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, Safe Passage Project, Make the Road New York, and the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network, revised the 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 to help advocates work through various challenges including when an immigration judge orders removal, detention issues, and risk mitigation strategies for SIJS clients who may be vulnerable to expanded expedited removal.
You will need a CILA account to access these resources. Sign up for an account here. Contact CILA at cila@abacila.org if you need additional assistance accessing this resource.