Deportation Prevention Advice

[paragraphs]

Reaching out to my flist here--anyone have any ideas?

My daughter's best friend Courtney's family took in a friend of their son's. His mother died, and his father abandoned him--sent him on a bus to Courtney's mom (who had moved from Las Vegas to Minnesota, but when they lived in Las Vegas the boy mostly lived with them).

The kid just turned 16. Turns out, he would've had to have been adopted at 15...which Courtney's mom VERY much wants. They were unable to accomplish that before his birthday thanks primarily to his father (who now can't be found), and now he is facing deportation to the Philipines.

He is 16. He has no family here but Courtney's, he has no family there. And, he is gay.

Any advice on how to keep him here would be appreciated. He has a lawyer and they are trying to do anything and everything they can but our government thinks it is more important to send a 16-year-old gay young man with no family or skills to a country he hasn't been to since he was a child.

Thanks flist--I have no idea how this kid can be saved and he is terrified, beyond terrified. I am heartsick for them all.

Comments

[neifile7.livejournal.com]

Even though he has a lawyer, it might help to contact Lambda Legal Aid, which I'm sure deals with deportation issues in your region quite often, as well as with rights of minors. It's a place to start, at least.
http://www.lambdalegal.org/

My heart goes out to him and your friends.

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

hi-- is he in mn or nv?

[bodlon.livejournal.com]

This. Lambda are the good guys on so many levels.

[samueljames]

I'm no help but I'll keep them in my prayers.

[puppetmaker40.livejournal.com]

they need to create or recreate a paper trail that proves how long the kid has been with them. Picture with dates and school records proving that the child was with them for an extended period of time. Also their senator and congressman/representative needs to be contacted PRONTO! The sooner this kid's name and situation is in front of them and their staff, the better the chances for the child to stay. Abandonment can be used to their advantage esp. if they can prove that they tried to reach the father.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

Minnesota now.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

Thank you--I will keep folks posted. They are going nuts, just nuts.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I have sent that along too.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

All I can think of are the names on that list of transpeople who died this year, and how often the Phillipines showed up. He just can't go there. :*(

Thanks, dear Lifty.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

They're contacting them right now!

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

k. have asked someone else (in mn) to take a look. i can't make any promises, but if i were having immigration problems, he's the one i'd call.

[bodlon.livejournal.com]

*hug*

My thoughts are with him, and the folks who are helping him, and you, and everyone.

[verasteine.livejournal.com]

It's a really long shot, I think, but there might be something in trying an appeal with the United Nations. They've got a commission on human rights that does hearings for individuals whose human rights have been violated. It might be worth mentioning to the lawyer in question, since I don't know how well American law schools verse their students in international law.

That's the most I can offer, I'm afraid, and like I said, it's a real long shot :(.

[aseas-words.livejournal.com]

I hope that one of the things the people above said will work out...

If not, is it possible for him to enroll in a community college and apply for a student visa?

[snufflesdbear.livejournal.com]

deff try lambda, but also check around the local news outlets. Find one that is gay-friendly. Get ahold of their consumer service reporter. See if it can be covered that way. This is a scarey situation for him - maybe he can get something through the embassy. Because, if he is deported, he would be persecuted. How would he live???!!! I mean, if the kid is to old to be adopted, he ought to be able to choose to become a citizen.

I will keep him, and all of them, in my prayers.

(here via RM's LJ)

[contrarywise]

I don't have anything to add to the excellent advice already offered, but if I think of anything, I'll definitely let you know. My thoughts and best wishes are with him and those who care for him.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much! (how did you find out about this? Magic of the flistworld?)

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

Thanks Vera--am sending this along too.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

I am not sure they thought of that, but am sending this along too.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

They're already marching on the local news outlet...the area seems to be gay friendly, so I don't know...


And there isn't a way for him to live there. He knows nothing about any family at all.

Thanks very much for your thoughts. These are being passed along as well.

[paragraphs.livejournal.com]

Thanks Mark--I'm passing the whole slew of advice and thoughts along.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

I'm signal boosting like MAD - but you might consider editing this post to add a direct email contact for folks outside of LJ to get in touch.

If there's a way, we'll find it. Hang in there.

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

rm boosted the signal, and i read her.

[catsintheattic.livejournal.com]

This is a terrible situation. My thoughts are with this kid, and the family who loves him, and you and your daughter. *hugs*

[durayan.livejournal.com]

Here is a somewhat useful article: http://www.cundyandmartin.com/immigration/family/immigration-status-abandoned-children.php

It seems to me that the most practical course would be to get something initiated under the Minnesota Child Protective Services folks. I know that sounds absurd and scary, and I must qualify that by saying I don't know jack about MN CPS, but whereas Immigration is likely to treat him as an unaccompanied minor, and attempt to repatriate him, CPS might intervene on the fact that his mother died and his only living parent has abandoned him. As a ward of the state, he would have access to a different path to legal residency, which is essential if he wishes to stay here, and ever have a decent job. Special Immigrant Juvenile Status is a beautiful thing.

I can't speak, however, to whether MN CPS would act if his current caregivers were willing to keep him (you can always say, yes, we want him, but we can't enroll him in school consent for medical care, etc...)or if they did, if they'd allow him to remain in your friend's home. And then, you'd still need to make sure that someone had it on their radar screen to pursue SIJS. As in jump up and down about it.