Family Court judges can demand enhanced information from lawyers to prove that juvenile clients qualify for a special federal immigration program, the administrator of New York City’s Family Courts said.
Judge Edwina Richardson-Mendelson said information from lawyers is usually the best and, often, the only way that Family Court judges can verify whether circumstances qualify a youth for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), which grants lawful residence in the United States while a green card application is pending.
