Specialized Children’s Dockets in Immigration Court

May 2, 2023

KIND Recommendations

for a specialized children's docket

As part of a holistic vision to create a child-centered approach to the processing of children’s cases, KIND supports the establishment of a children’s court or children’s division of an independent immigration court to adjudicate children’s cases that would focus on the best interests of children, including prioritizing child safety, permanency, and well-being. A children’s court should be designed to address the vulnerabilities of children, similar to juvenile courts in other disciplines, and it should employ a coordinated approach with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to limit burdens on children and repeated inquiry into traumatic past events.

 

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