by Adam Delezenne
When Luis entered the United States, border patrol agents immediately picked him up. Luis had traveled from Guatemala in hopes of working and sending money home to support his desperately poor family. Regardless of the availability of jobs in the United States, the danger of the journey north, or the possibility of being turned back at the border, the stories still circulated in Luis’ hometown of people who came to the US and now support their family from afar. He was 17 years old when he crossed.
Legally, unaccompanied minors are in a grey area. Because they are not yet fully adults, they are somewhat insulated against the total weight of U.S. immigration enforcement. However, when Luis first came to a SWIRC clinic and sought our help, he had just turned 18 and his case was already assigned to a judge at Detroit’s Immigration Court.
In October, SWIRC Legal Director Veronica Beltran appeared before that Judge and argued that since Luis entered the US as an unaccompanied minor, his case should be dismissed and considered instead by the Asylum Office in Chicago. The Judge agreed that this is now the policy being followed by the Department of Homeland Security and dismissed the case. Luis is no longer in ICE deportation proceedings!
SWIRC Executive Director Kevin Piecuch lauded the outcome, “Veronica did a great job arguing that Luis’ case should be dismissed. This year Luis can enjoy a life of peace and safety here in the US without fear.”
The Southwest Detroit Immigrant and Refugee Center provides free and low-cost legal services to those who need them most in the Detroit area, with a focus on recent immigrants and refugees.
We were founded in 2014 by Kevin Piecuch, our Executive Director,
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