Special Immigrant Juvenile Status
In Texas family law, a court can continue jurisdiction over a child after age 18.
Using Texas as a case study, this report looks at undocumented children in state child welfare systems because of abuse or neglect – and ways to improve the process by which these children may obtain legal residency. The report explains alignment between federal immigration and child welfare law, and the federal government’s role in financially supporting states to care for undocumented children.
Undocumented children are more than five times as likely to come into state care for sexual abuse.
Parents are the dominant perpetrators of abuse and neglect. For undocumented children, however, mothers are less likely to hurt their children.
Undocumented children in care are more likely to live in a foster home.
In Texas family law, a court can continue jurisdiction over a child after age 18.
To give a child a meaningful chance at reunification and to establish eligibility for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, the federal government should not pursue deportation, removal or other immigration proceedings against a child while the state has legal custody.
