Judge Teresa Corrigan
KC moved for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). Her stepfather was granted an application for guardianship, and a hearing relating to the SIJS petition for KC. KC, a 20 year old, resided with her mother, stepfather and three half-siblings. She arrived in the United States in 2007 at age 14 after previously residing in El Salvador with her maternal grandmother for nearly 12 years. Her mother left when KC was 2 years old to pursue a better life in the United States, and was currently in the United States under "temporary protected status" which was regularly renewed. KC's biological father abandoned her before her birth, and she stated she could not return to El Salvador, noting she would not have the same opportunities as in the United States. The court found while KC was under 21, was not married, and was dependent on a juvenile court through her stepfather's guardianship over her, it could not find KC established that reunification with one or both parents was not viable due to abuse, neglect or abandonment. As the mother was under protected status, there was no danger she would be removed from the United States, and the court did not find that reunification with one or more parents was not viable as she resided with her mother. The court denied the motion.
