Lee County Legal Aid Society, a nonprofit that provides free civil legal aid, has expanded its efforts to assist immigrant children and teens. This includes those who entered the country alone, or have been abandoned by their parents, or were trafficked.
The organization is able to apply for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, or SIJS, for the youths. Staff Attorney Eunice Linot explains:
“Special Immigrant Juvenile Status is basically a status available to youth who are abused, abandoned and neglected by their parents,” Linot said. “And it's not in their best interest to return to their home country or the country that they last habitually resided in.”
Once the youth is granted SIJS status, they are present in the US lawfully and can apply for a work permit, and will not be subject to recent Florida legislation that makes it a crime to employ them.They can eventually apply for a green card, although that involves a 4-5 year wait currently.
Andrew Banyai, Executive Director of Lee County Legal Aid Society, says that the service is much needed by children and families in the community.
“The idea of them having the resources to secure an attorney, to go into family law court and argue to a judge who may or may not be hostile to the proposition that, you know, we should get this designation. I mean, there's no way that these kids are going to be able to do that themselves. So it just wasn't happening. And now it is because Eunice is doing it,” Banyai said.
The effort, which began late last year, is funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act. People who are interested in getting this help can go to a United Way field house, send a WhatsApp message on 239-265-6184, or call 239-334-6118.
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