Refugee Child Unit
Our Work
We conduct legal outreach and intake for unaccompanied children that have resettled in Nassau and Suffolk counties, assessing available avenues of legal relief for children in deportation proceedings and providing them with legal representation.
Why We Are Here
Thousands of Central Americans children come to the U.S. every year seeking protection from abuse, abandonment,
negligence, persecution, violence, and other dangers in their home countries.
According to the Office of Refugee Resettlement, in 2015 Suffolk and Nassau counties respectively became home to the third and fifth largest number of resettled unaccompanied children in the United States. More unaccompanied children are currently living in Suffolk and Nassau counties than in all boroughs in New York City combined. Yet, they have access to a fraction of the legal resources that are available in the city.
When an immigrant has legal representation, he or she is 14 times more likely to win their deportation case. The Refugee Child Unit was created in response to this need for legal representation for unaccompanied children on Long Island. We are driven by our commitment to expand legal counsel and representation to this vulnerable and resilient community.
