San Fernando Valley Refugee Children Center
Remote Immigration Consultations for our immigrant community
Our immigrant community will be able to access free of cost, reputable legal advice remotely while staying safe at home during this pandemic.
Posted May 15, 2020
Background & Context
Monthly Immigration Clinics for the general population.
The SFVRCC’s Legal Department is facilitating opportunities for individuals to discuss their immigration legal questions or concerns remotely on a pro bono basis with a legal service provider or an immigration attorney. Until February of 2020, the clinics were held in person on the last Saturday of each month. In addition to the in-person clinics, we plan to expand our services remotely. We plan to set-up a hotline, five days a week to offer this service. During the call, our student interns will assist callers in completing an intake that will then be forwarded to an available immigration attorney volunteer. Based on the experience we have had, most of the people who benefit from these clinics are legal permanent residents seeking information on the process of Naturalization. However, we also serve participants seeking information on potential immigration reliefs. To develop this project, we must secure the assistance of immigration attorneys who are available remotely on the last Saturday of each month and/or who offer their availability to follow up on completed intakes.
Work & Deliverables
Monthly Immigration Clinics for the general population.
To develop this project, we must secure the assistance of immigration attorneys who are available remotely on the last Saturday of each month and/or who offer their availability to follow up on completed immigration intakes.
San Fernando Valley Refugee Children Center
Background: Although the surge of unaccompanied minors at the border has somewhat subsided, it is still estimated that over 175,227* unaccompanied children have fled violence, persecution, and impoverishment in Central America and made their way into the US from 2015 to 2019 FY. It is expected that thousands of children and families will continue to undertake the harrowing journey. A large portion of these children would qualify for refugee status if provided the right legal representation. Upon arrival, they are placed with relatives and sponsors. This violent displacement of so many underprivileged children from Central America is a humanitarian crisis. Unfortunately, the challenges faced by unaccompanied minors and their families will be for post-release services when they are placed with relatives or sponsors, particularly legal assistance, mental health, and other family support services. Southern California is receiving the second largest number of unaccompanied minors of any region in the country. Their relatives or sponsors are often vulnerable themselves and ill-equipped to deal with such a challenge. They are provided no funds for legal assistance or other family services. Mission: The Mission of the San Fernando Valley Refugee Children Center in North Hills is to be a healing embrace to the hundreds of unaccompanied children who have made the perilous journey from Central America to seek refuge in the San Fernando Valley. Our overarching goal is to reach out to these children and their families and offer our center as a place of welcome and healing through partnerships with community organizations to provide for basic needs, services and resources.
San Fernando Valley Refugee Children Center
Background: Although the surge of unaccompanied minors at the border has somewhat subsided, it is still estimated that over 175,227* unaccompanied children have fled violence, persecution, and impoverishment in Central America and made their way into the US from 2015 to 2019 FY. It is expected that thousands of children and families will continue to undertake the harrowing journey. A large portion of these children would qualify for refugee status if provided the right legal representation. Upon arrival, they are placed with relatives and sponsors. This violent displacement of so many underprivileged children from Central America is a humanitarian crisis. Unfortunately, the challenges faced by unaccompanied minors and their families will be for post-release services when they are placed with relatives or sponsors, particularly legal assistance, mental health, and other family support services. Southern California is receiving the second largest number of unaccompanied minors of any region in the country. Their relatives or sponsors are often vulnerable themselves and ill-equipped to deal with such a challenge. They are provided no funds for legal assistance or other family services. Mission: The Mission of the San Fernando Valley Refugee Children Center in North Hills is to be a healing embrace to the hundreds of unaccompanied children who have made the perilous journey from Central America to seek refuge in the San Fernando Valley. Our overarching goal is to reach out to these children and their families and offer our center as a place of welcome and healing through partnerships with community organizations to provide for basic needs, services and resources.