There are many ways to obtain lawful immigration status.  Each one depends on the facts of your case.  Lawful immigration status can sometimes mean just a work permit and other times it means a green card.

LSC represents children and youth who reside in parts of the Bay Area who are eligible for certain kinds of immigration status (SIJS, U Visa, T Visa, and DACA).

It’s important to talk to a qualified attorney or accredited representative and not just seek advice online or from family members or other consultants in the community (like notaries) because the immigration laws are very complicated and not everyone knows all of the laws and legal options.  Also, some people are dishonest and want to trick you into paying them more money than you should.  If you file an application and are not eligible or if you give false information to immigration, your application can be rejected and you can be placed into removal proceedings and deported.

It’s important to talk to an attorney who can tell you what your legal options might be.  Some kinds of immigration benefits depend on your age or how long it has been since you came to the U.S., so it is best to talk to an attorney as soon as possible, even if you are young and still being supported by your parents and don’t really need a work permit right now.

Children are detained by immigration authorities in different ways, including
– crossing the border
– through raids on workplaces or homes
– after being arrested

When a child is apprehended by themselves (not with their parent or legal guardian) they are usually considered unaccompanied. Unaccompanied immigrant children under age 18 must be placed in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) of the Department Health and Human Services (HHS) within 72 hours of their apprehension by immigration officials. They will also be placed in removal proceedings, which means they will need to appear before an immigration judge who will decide if they can stay in the U.S.

ORR operates a hotline seven days per week from 9am to 9pm Eastern Time, for parents seeking to locate their children in ORR care. The Parent Hotline number is 1-800-203-7001. If your child is 18 or over, they will be detained in ICE detention and you can locate them through this website: https://locator.ice.gov/