Brianne K. Nadeau: Immigrant youth in DC lack protections they have in other states — let’s fix that
Turning 18 for most young people means newfound freedom — being able to vote, graduating high school, and starting their adult lives. For some 17-year-olds living in the District of Columbia, however, turning 18 means the opposite: They will be prevented from applying for financial aid to pursue higher education, accessing various other federal services, and in some instances from working.
In the worst-case scenario, they might even be deported to a country they once escaped in search of safety. If they lived just a few miles away in either Maryland or Virginia, this would not be the case.
We can do better.
Last month, the DC Council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety took up the Vulnerable Youth Guardianship Protection Act, which I introduced in February with five colleagues. This week, the full council will vote on emergency and temporary versions of the legislation.
This important bill would rectify a discrepancy between federal and District law that prevents vulnerable immigrant youth — solely because they live in the District of Columbia — from gaining permanent status and the humanitarian protections that Congress intended for them. Passage would ensure that immigrant youth — many of whom have fled life-threatening dangers in their countries of origin — can access special federal immigration status and pursue education, work and fulfilling lives like other youth in the District.
The bill would also allow courts in the District to appoint a guardian for eligible youth between the ages of 18 and 21, a prerequisite for them to obtain a protection for young people who have been abused, abandoned or neglected in their country of origin. This protection is called a Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) visa.
Because DC courts do not currently have this authority, young people who are otherwise eligible for the SIJS visa are precluded from seeking it. Nonprofit organizations like Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) and the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia — both of which have welcomed the proposed legislation — work to ensure these young people have lawyers and try to help them gain U.S. protection, but this assistance can only go so far until we align our desire to be a place for immigrant youth to feel protected and prosper with the policies that can make this happen.
It would be easy to categorize this as an immigration bill — and, yes, this is very much aligned with this city’s commitment to welcoming immigrants to live here in safety and with dignity. But this is as much, or more so, about how we treat our young people. The welfare of the children and young adults in our care is something that has been a core priority for me since my earliest days as a councilmember.
That work has included establishing the Ombudsperson for Children, which advocates for the safety and well-being of children and families in DC’s child welfare services; pushing for mental health services for system-involved youth and for adequate funding of mental health services in schools; and introducing and funding the POKETT Act, which will be transformative in improving the lives of children in our care, giving them a more financially stable start as they transition out of foster care.
This bill is in line with the strong commitment to DC’s young people that I share with most of my council colleagues. The District should be able to provide safety and stability to immigrant youth who have endured unspeakable hardship. The bill would enable more immigrant youth to qualify for a green card, obtain work authorization, and eventually apply for U.S. citizenship. Their ability to be safe, access education and gain more financial stability will help them thrive and allow them to contribute to the vibrant fabric of the District’s community and economy.
As the nation’s capital, let’s continue to be a model and strengthen our efforts to be a place where youth, including immigrant youth, are safe and can access the human rights and opportunities they need to help point them toward a bright future.
Brianne K. Nadeau represents Ward 1 on the DC Council.
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