“Mintz Levin's attorneys made an enormous difference in this child's life by helping him through the complex process of obtaining Special Immigrant Juvenile Status. With his legal status stabilized, he can move forward with his life in a safe and secure environment and will no longer be facing the threat of deportation.”

Christie Turner-Herbas
Supervising Attorney for
Pro Bono Programs – DC
Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)

KIND Efforts Give Teen Something to Sing About

Three years ago in Guatemala, "Alexi," then 13, was in rough straits. His mother had moved to the United States to earn a living, leaving him with her parents. But soon it became clear that Alexi's aging grandparents couldn't care for him. His grandmother developed a serious illness, and his grandfather urged the boy to quit school and go to work.

In 2012 Alexi's mother paid someone thousands of dollars to lead her son north. Soon after entering the United States, however, the boy was detained by US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Alexi remained in custody for several months before the agency sent him to Maryland to live with his mother, pending a decision on his legal status.

In early 2014, Mintz Levin reached out to Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) and offered to help with a case requiring pro bono legal services. KIND referred Alexi to the firm, and soon a legal team, led by Helen Kim, began working to help him secure Special Immigrant Juvenile Legal Status (SIJS). Through SIJS, a child who has been abused, abandoned, or neglected by at least one parent in his or her country of origin, and in whose best interests it is not to return there, can remain in the United States legally and eventually become a US citizen. But Alexi would be deported if the firm's efforts fell short.

The first step was to help Alexi's mother file for legal custody. To pursue custody and SIJS, Alexi and his mother needed to appear at a hearing in Maryland Juvenile Court. Helen and her team — including attorney Farrah Short, former Mintz Levin project analyst Alice Kilpatrick, and records assistant Lorena Bonilla — worked to prepare Alexi, then 16, and his mother for the court appearance. Farrah provided ongoing assistance, while Alice and Lorena — fluent in Spanish — overcame the language barrier.

The team's legal argument rested on the impossibility of returning Alexi to his father in Guatemala. Alexi had met the man only three times. He provided his son with very minimal financial assistance and maintained no relationship with him. At the hearing, responding to Helen's direct examination, Alexi and his mother explained these circumstances clearly to the judge. During the previous year, with project analyst Katherine Fox providing research assistance and coordinating documentation, the firm had filed motions and memoranda to support their testimony.

The judge granted Alexi's mother custody and approved Alexi's SIJS petition. That decision turned the case over to the federal Immigration Court, which terminated Alexi's removal proceedings. The firm has recently helped Alexi file for permanent residency and is awaiting a decision on his status. Alexi's English has greatly improved. After graduating from high school, he hopes to become a singer.