PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Ydalmi Mejia, Paralegal Director at The Children's Law Center on Resources for Immigrant Youth
3:33:48
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3 min
Ydalmi Mejia, Paralegal Director at The Children's Law Center, testified about their work with immigrant youth seeking Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). She highlighted the importance of obtaining family court orders for these young people and shared client stories to illustrate the critical nature of their work.
- The Children's Law Center has represented over 130,000 children in New York City Family Courts and New Jersey State Supreme Court over the past 27 years.
- They have helped hundreds of young people, especially in Queens, with SIJS petitions, which have dramatically increased in recent years.
- Mejia emphasized the need for more resources to expand their services to the Bronx and Brooklyn, given the growing number of new immigrant youth in New York City.
Ydalmi Mejia
3:33:48
Good afternoon.
3:33:49
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to testify today.
3:33:52
My name is Edelmi Mejiam, the paralegal director at the Children's Law Center, a nonprofit organization that has represented over 130,000 children a New York City Family Courts, a New Jersey State Supreme Court, integrated domestic violence imposed over the past 27 years.
3:34:11
Our mission is to advance the rights of children by providing legal representation in cases involving custody visitation, domestic violence, and child protective matters.
3:34:21
She does a negative impact of family solution and promote well-being an equity for young people.
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Now I would like to discuss our work with children on the 21 seeking special immigrant juvenile status, Sesh Order, and act for your support in this critical work.
3:34:39
The Sesh designation created by Congress allows certain undocumented children in the foster care or guardianship situations where 1 of both paddings are unable to provide care and protection to obtain lawful immigration and status when they cannot safely return to their home countries.
3:34:57
In New York City, obtaining a family court order and stating it is not in a child's best interest to the townhome is the essential first step for these young people.
3:35:08
Indeed, without such orders, young people cannot further pursue such approval from USCIS.
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In the past several years, we have represented hundreds of young people in these situations, especially in Queen's, where such petition has dramatically increased.
3:35:27
Working with the children's law center attorneys in different capacities, I have witnessed firsthand the importance of this work.
3:35:34
Let me share a few stories from our clients.
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Their name has been checked for confidentiality.
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For instance, 7, age seventeen from Guatemala was forced to leave school and work, thrown out by his mother, physically abused by his mother's boyfriend, and faced dress from games.
3:35:52
He traveled along to the US seeking safety, and now he live with his uncle in New York.
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Our man, age twenty from Albania, endure violations and persecution due to his family's political support and opposition to Muslim extremist.
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After escaping persecution, he moved to the US.
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His parent colonized with him and his unbecoming his social support, ensuring he could attend college.
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Currently, only our queen's office can accept assignments on cases, but if you have more resources, we could expand our communities to help young people in their Bronx and Brooklyn.
3:36:34
Our siege client comes to us with hope and promise, and they have incredible talent to share.
3:36:39
And given the covering number of new New Yorkers in our city, there is little sign that this number of young people in India and legal and educational support will decrease in the near future.
3:36:51
Thank you so much for this opportunity to share this story.