WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is cosponsoring legislation to help provide an expedited pathway to green card status for young immigrants under 21 whose case of abandonment, abuse or neglect by their legal guardian has been evaluated and affirmed by a U.S. state court. The Protect Vulnerable Immigrant Youth Act, S. 1965, aims to exempt Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) children from annual employment-based visa caps. This would end years-long backlogs and allow these children to move forward with their lives as lawful, productive, permanent residents of the United States.

“For generations, our country has been a beacon of hope for immigrants seeking a better life,” said Senator King. “However, navigating the immigration system and pathway to legal citizenship is often a lengthy, cumbersome process — especially for younger immigrants trying to escape abuse or neglect. The Protect Vulnerable Immigrant Youth Act would gently ease some of the barriers to obtaining a green card for vulnerable minors and help keep these children safe and out of harm’s way. We owe it to the young people seeking refuge in our country to provide them with the tools and support to achieve their American dream.”

The Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) was established in 1990 to create a pathway to lawful permanent residence (a “green card”) for immigrant children who have been abandoned, abused or neglected by their parents or guardians. Children who receive SIJS have faced horrific conditions in their home countries, leaving them unable to return and often with few resources here in the U.S. Despite being a humanitarian visa, the pathway to a green card for SIJS children runs through the employment-based immigration visa system — subjecting SIJS recipients to annual worldwide and country-specific visa limits. This has resulted in thousands of children stuck in a backlog, unable to move forward with their lives.

The Protect Vulnerable Immigrant Youth Act is cosponsored by Senators Cortez Masto (D-NV), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Peter Welch (D-VT), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Patty Murray (D-WA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM).

Senator King is a strong opponent of the Trump Administration’s continued efforts to repeal protections for DACA recipients, also referred to as “Dreamers.” He has repeatedly sought a legislative solution to provide stability for DACA recipients. Most recently, he sent a letter to Acting Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Angelica Alfonso-Royals, highlighting the popular support for providing Dreamers a pathway to citizenship and request that the Trump Administration comply with the recent Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that mandated the resumption of processing of DACA applications. Most recently, he cosponsored a bill to prohibit the sharing of personal data of DACA program applicants with immigration officials.

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