Safe Passage Project

Safe Passage Project provides free lawyers to 800 child refugees who are being deported. Many children embark alone on the long and dangerous journey to the United States seeking protection. They are fleeing trauma such as gang violence and recruitment, abuse, and sexual assault. In 2017, the federal government reported apprehending over 40,000 immigrant children seeking entry to the United States. Closer to home, the New York Immigration Court has more than 15,000 cases involving children on its docket. Immigrant children are not afforded free legal representation by the government, regardless of their age. As a result, more than half of immigrant children must go through immigration proceedings without the aid of a lawyer. Unable to effectively argue their claim for the legal protections they may qualify for, more than 80% of these children are issued deportation orders. To many, this means returning to the danger from which they fled. This is where Safe Passage Project steps in, providing free legal assistance to these refugee and immigrant children in New York City and Long Island who are facing removal despite their strong legal claim to stay in the United States.