Juvenile Client of Immigration Clinic Finds Relief
UC Davis law students Clarissa Guerrero '08, Ana Perez '07, and Heather Chicca '07 successfully obtained relief for a juvenile client of the UC Davis School of Law Immigration Clinic on February 21, 2007. The undocumented teenage girl become a ward of the court when her mother abandoned her in West Sacramento with the girl's new baby. Having no where to go, the girl went to Yolo County Child Protective Services (CPS) for food and shelter for herself and her child.
Having been abandoned, the girl planned to seek emancipation from juvenile dependency court. A social worker with CPS realized that she needed to act fast to get the girl legal status. Once emancipated, the undocumented juvenile would not be protected from potential-removal proceedings by her juvenile status.
The social worker, aware of the Immigration Clinic's involvement with other undocumented children, called the clinic. The clinic advised CPS of the legal requirements needed for a Special Immigrant Juvenile Visa and the dependency order was extended beyond the girl's 18th birthday with the necessary legal language required for the visa.
Yesterday, the girl received her green card and is now eligible to become a lawful permanent resident. She is living with a family member and will be the first in her family to graduate high school this spring. She is especially excited to get her driver's license as undocumented persons do not have this opportunity and must rely on the generosity of others for transportation to school, to daycare, and to get food. This has been especially difficult for her as she has a three-year old child and is a full-time student without a driver's license.
The Immigration Clinic was established in 1981 by the School of Law. The year-round clinic provides community education, free legal services to low-income immigrants facing deportation, and a clinical legal education for law students. During the past year, the clinic has found relief for numerous clients, including the out-of-wedlock son of a U.S.-born Marine stationed in the Philippines, a Nicaraguan client fleeing persecution, a Mexican-American man great grandfather, and a young woman eligible for U.S. Nationality through her American Samoan-born mother.
Immigration Clinic
Having been abandoned, the girl planned to seek emancipation from juvenile dependency court. A social worker with CPS realized that she needed to act fast to get the girl legal status. Once emancipated, the undocumented juvenile would not be protected from potential-removal proceedings by her juvenile status.
The social worker, aware of the Immigration Clinic's involvement with other undocumented children, called the clinic. The clinic advised CPS of the legal requirements needed for a Special Immigrant Juvenile Visa and the dependency order was extended beyond the girl's 18th birthday with the necessary legal language required for the visa.
Yesterday, the girl received her green card and is now eligible to become a lawful permanent resident. She is living with a family member and will be the first in her family to graduate high school this spring. She is especially excited to get her driver's license as undocumented persons do not have this opportunity and must rely on the generosity of others for transportation to school, to daycare, and to get food. This has been especially difficult for her as she has a three-year old child and is a full-time student without a driver's license.
The Immigration Clinic was established in 1981 by the School of Law. The year-round clinic provides community education, free legal services to low-income immigrants facing deportation, and a clinical legal education for law students. During the past year, the clinic has found relief for numerous clients, including the out-of-wedlock son of a U.S.-born Marine stationed in the Philippines, a Nicaraguan client fleeing persecution, a Mexican-American man great grandfather, and a young woman eligible for U.S. Nationality through her American Samoan-born mother.
Immigration Clinic