Round up this January to help provide equal access to justice! The Immigration Law Project at the Center for NonProfit Legal Services provides equal access to justice, as well as safety, security and services for immigrant youth and children living here in the Rogue Valley.

The Center for NonProfit Legal Services mission is to secure justice for, and protect the rights of needy persons residing in Jackson County so that such persons shall not by reason of being in financial need, be denied equal protection under the law. The Immigration Law Project at CNPLS assists Rogue Valley residents with applications for citizenship, legal permanent residency, DACA, and other family-based applications. They prioritize families and individuals experiencing violence and unsafe living situations, and a recent influx of children and youth has expanded their work to include additional services for these most vulnerable populations.

There is an emergent need to support children and youth in Jackson County who have arrived in the United States as asylum applicants with their families, as vulnerable youth, or as unaccompanied minors. According to statistics gathered by human rights organizations, this is a troubling new trend. The number of children making the treacherous journey alone and unaccompanied, has doubled each year since 2011. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says children leaving Central America are doing so for varied reasons, including violence and persecution, and expresses concern for children who may face harm if returned home. Children fleeing violence should be able to tell their stories and have continued access to asylum procedures in the United States.

The Immigration Law Project at CNPLS already has a high caseload assisting adult and minor survivors of crime, and so the Positive Change funds will assist with an expanded program to include helping unaccompanied minors and vulnerable youth to make sure that these young immigrants are safe in the United States. This entails filing guardianship applications, dependency petitions, and immigration applications. It is the duty of CNPLS to provide equal access to justice for these children and vulnerable youth, who have no other recourse.