NEW JERSEY CONSORTIUM FOR IMMIGRANT CHILDREN INC

HOLISTIC, YOUTH-CENTERED LEGAL REPRESENTATION IS POWERED BY NJCIC'S LEGAL TEAM, WHICH CONDUCTS 1) LANGUAGE-SPECIFIC SCREENINGS AND REFERS YOUNG IMMIGRANTS TO PEER LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDERS FOR HIGH-QUALITY, FREE LEGAL REPRESENTATION THROUGH OUR ROLE AS THE CENTRAL INTAKE AND REFERRAL HUB FOR THE STATE-FUNDED LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH PROGRAM (LRP). OUR LEGAL TEAM ALSO PROVIDES 2) DIRECT LEGAL REPRESENTATION, ADVICE, AND COUNSEL TO IMMIGRANT YOUTH WHO QUALIFY FOR VARIOUS IMMIGRATION PROTECTIONS SUCH AS ASYLUM, SPECIAL IMMIGRANT JUVENILE STATUS (SIJS), U VISAS, AND T VISAS. IN ADDITION TO REPRESENTATION OF UC'S AND SIMILARLY-SITUATED YOUTH THROUGH THE STATE'S LRP, WE HOST THREE ADDITIONAL DIRECT REPRESENTATION AND RECENTLY PILOTED PROGRAMS: 3) FLORECER, A MEDICAL-LEGAL PARTNERSHIP WITH ZUFALL HEALTH, A FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTER; 4) BEACON, OUR EDUCATIONAL-LEGAL PARTNERSHIP WITH THE JERSEY CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND 5) OUR RAPID RESPONSE INITIATIVE (RRI), A SPECIAL PROJECT AT NJCIC DEDICATED TO SERVING NEW JERSEY'S YOUNG IMMIGRANTS MOST AT RISK OF DETENTION, EXPEDITED REMOVAL, OR DEPORTATION. SINCE EARLY 2022, WHEN THE LRP INTAKE LINE HOSTED AT NJCIC WAS FIRST ESTABLISHED, WE HAVE RECEIVED MORE THAN 6,300 REQUESTS FOR LEGAL REPRESENTATION FROM NEW JERSEY'S YOUNG IMMIGRANTS. IN FY25, ACROSS OUR LEGAL PROGRAMS, NJCIC RECEIVED MORE THAN 1,570 REQUESTS FOR LEGAL ASSISTANCE, CONDUCTED 380 LANGUAGE-SPECIFIC SCREENINGS FOR PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY, REFERRED 271 YOUNG IMMIGRANTS TO PEER LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND RETAINED 42 NEW AND NON-DUPLICATIVE CLIENTS AS PART OF OUR DIRECT REPRESENTATION EFFORTS. OUR POLICY TEAM WORKS TO DRIVE SYSTEMIC CHANGE THAT ADVANCES THE RIGHTS OF YOUNG IMMIGRANTS IN NEW JERSEY. THIS IS A KEY FOCUS OF OUR MISSION, WHICH INVOLVES ADVOCACY CAMPAIGNS AND COMMUNICATION EFFORTS AIMED AT ADDRESSING POLICIES AND SYSTEMS THAT IMPACT EQUITABLE ACCESS TO JUSTICE, HEALTH, AND EDUCATION. TO PROMOTE NARRATIVE CHANGE AND SUPPORT YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, WE HOST THE ONE-OF-A-KIND IMMIGRANT YOUTH ADVOCATES PROGRAM FOR FIRST- AND SECOND-GENERATION IMMIGRANT STUDENTS. THIS INITIATIVE HELPS YOUNG PEOPLE DEVELOP ADVOCACY SKILLS AND ENSURES THEY HAVE A VOICE IN SHAPING THE POLICIES AND SYSTEMS THAT AFFECT THEIR LIVES. KEY FY25 IMPACTS AND OUTPUTS OF NOTE INCLUDE: 1) A SUCCESSFUL BUDGET ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN HELPING SECURE $5.3M FOR LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH PROGRAM, 2) IMMIGRANT YOUTH ADVOCATES PRODUCED 5 PODCAST EPISODES VIA THEIR SELF-PRODUCED PODCAST, "MIGRANTS WITH MIGRAINES, AND 3) THE CONDUCT OF A COMPREHENSIVE STATEWIDE SCHOOL ENROLLMENT STUDY.SINCE OUR FOUNDING, OUR COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE, THE CONSORTIUM, HAS GROWN TO NEARLY 200 PROFESSIONALS REPRESENTING MORE THAN 25 ORGANIZATIONS WORKING WITH YOUNG IMMIGRANTS. THE CONSORTIUM LENDS THE CONVENING POWER AND MOVEMENT-BUILDING THAT, IN LARGE PART, SHAPES THE COLLABORATION AND EDUCATION PIECE OF OUR MISSION ACROSS OUR LEGAL AND POLICY ADVOCACY EFFORTS. NJCIC CONVENED SIX MEETINGS IN FY25 TO PROMOTE COLLABORATION, ELEVATE THE PRACTICE OF IMMIGRATION LAW, AND STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITY OF SERVICE PROVIDERS ACROSS THE STATE.