Can you imagine coming to the US alone with a fear of being detained or deported? Who will help you?

The Refugee Translation Project faces this reality everyday when helping our most vulnerable clients: unaccompanied youth.

These children and young adults under the age of 21 have fled physical abuse, neglect, abandonment, and violence. They cannot return to their home countries for fear of their safety, even death.

For many of these young people, a legal path forward is called Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), and it begins with translating extensive paperwork.

SIJS is a two-step process:

• A family court must first issue a guardianship order to a supportive adult or family member, along with issuing a special findings order – that the youth is eligible for SIJS
• The youth must then apply for SIJS by submitting Form I-360 to USCIS,  with documentation such as their birth certificate and, if applicable, their parents’ death certificates. The documents must be received by USCIS prior to the youth’s 21st birthday

Despite attempts by the federal government to weaken SIJS, receiving this status still creates a pathway to green card or lawful permanent residency.

In 2026 alone, RTP has supported 25 SIJS cases, mostly through our partner ROCC NYC. Of these cases, 13 have passed the family court phase awaiting approval by USCIS, and 2 have already obtained SIJS!

Each one of these cases represents a young person facing many difficulties, without family members or friends to help them navigate this complex and intimidating process. Everyone deserves a chance to succeed. And to live a life with dignity and safety.  

Your donation directly supports RTP in doing this important work. A gift of $100 translates two principal documents: their birth certificate and the death certificate of a parent. 

These kids have already survived so much. Your donation ensures that language is not the thing that stops them.