"The question of whether children get to stay in the United States largely hinges on two factors that often are beyond their control — whether they have a lawyer and which of several dozen immigration judges nationwide happen to hear their case. Whether young immigrants get a lawyer is often a matter of luck. And immigration judges often make wildly different decisions after weighing similar facts. Some judges interpret the law in a way that lets immigrants stay in the United States more often than not. Others hear similar arguments and tend to expel the immigrants who make them."
NIJC staff explain the importance of legal counsel for unaccompanied immigrant children and the challenges many kids face trying to get it. Read the article.