Children's Representation Program
Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef) delivers full‑scope deportation defense, legal consultations, legal education, and holistic social services to thousands of detained and non‑detained children every year. Many of these young people are navigating trauma, uncertainty, and a complex immigration system without family or support. As one of the nation’s leading nonprofit immigration law centers, ImmDef provides the critical legal help and compassionate advocacy that immigrant children need—and deserve—so they never have to face the immigration system alone.
All Children Deserve Universal Representation.
In the U.S. immigration system, no child—regardless of age—is guaranteed an attorney in immigration court. Every day, unaccompanied children are forced to stand before a judge alone while a government‑funded Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) prosecutor argues for their deportation. These young people are expected to navigate complex immigration and state laws by themselves, an expectation no child could ever meet. ​
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Naniniwala kami na ang angkop na proseso ay nangangailangan ng mga pagdinig na naaangkop sa edad at may kaalaman sa trauma kasama ang isang abogadong hinirang at pinopondohan ng gobyerno na lumalaban para sa bawat bata sa korte ng imigrasyon.
Kinakatawan namin ang mga batang naninirahan sa buong Southern California, sa Los Angeles County, at sa mga rehiyong kulang sa serbisyo tulad ng Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo at Kern Counties.
FACT: Between 2009 and 2023, 49% of unaccompanied children received no legal representation in their immigration cases.
Studies* show that children who must represent themselves face overwhelming odds: 96% of immigrants who appear in court without counsel lose their cases, making them four times more likely to be deported than those with legal representation. This is the difference representation makes—and why our mission to defend unaccompanied children is so urgent.
Reference:
*American Center for Education. (2025). When children represent themselves: The debate on unaccompanied minors in immigration court. https://ace-usa.org/blog/research/research-immigration/when-children-represent-themselves-the-debate-on-unaccompanied-minors-in-immigration-court/
Our Services
Representation For ALL At Every Step
: Since its founding, Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef) has been a national leader in advancing universal representation for immigrant children. Our team provides comprehensive immigration legal services and full‑scope deportation defense, representing young people before immigration court, USCIS, and California state courts.
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Every day, ImmDef helps children seeking safety in the United States apply for critical humanitarian protections—including asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, and visas for survivors of crime or human trafficking. We serve every eligible child on a merits‑blind basis because no child should ever be forced to face the immigration system alone.
Our goal is simple and urgent: to ensure that fewer young people stand before an immigration judge without an experienced nonprofit immigration attorney defending their rights, safety, and future. With the support of our community, we can expand access to justice and protect more children who deserve safety, stability, and a chance to thrive.
Mga Tagapagtaguyod para sa mga Kabataang Nakakulong sa Kustodiya ng Gobyerno
Ang Detained Youth Empowerment Project (DYEP) ay nagsisilbi sa libu-libong batang walang kasama sa dose-dosenang mga panandaliang pasilidad sa Southern California na pinapatakbo ng Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). Nagbibigay kami ng kritikal na edukasyon sa komunidad tungkol sa proseso ng imigrasyon sa mga nakakaengganyo at angkop sa mga bata, nagtataguyod para sa mga karapatan ng mga batang nasa kustodiya ng gobyerno, at nag-uugnay sa mga bata sa abogado sa kanilang lokasyon ng pagpapalaya, bukod sa iba pang mahahalagang serbisyo.
Pagbibigay sa mga Bata ng Isang Pagkakataong Umunlad
Kasama sa aming unibersal na modelo ng representasyon ang holistic humanitarian support upang ang mga bata ay umunlad habang nagpapatuloy ang kanilang kaso. Tinutulungan ng aming Case Management (CMA) team ang aming mga kliyenteng kabataan sa pamamagitan ng suporta sa mga serbisyong panlipunan tulad ng pagpapatala sa paaralan, pag-access sa pangangalagang pangkalusugan at emergency housing, at pagkuha ng iba pang mga benepisyo. Bukod pa rito, ang aming CMA team ay nagsisilbing referral source para sa mga programa at resources, mula sa trauma counseling at emergency shelter hanggang sa summer camp at food banks upang ang mga bata ay mamuhay nang may dignidad habang sila ay umaangkop sa kanilang mga bagong komunidad.
