Vulnerable Immigrants in Maryland: Responding to Unaccompanied Children and Undocumented Adults

More than 5,100 unaccompanied immigrant children (UCs) were released to sponsors in Maryland since January 2014, according to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)¹. This places Maryland among the top five states for UC resettlement. Many of the children have been abused, abandoned, or neglected and are escaping gang violence, corruption, or poverty. 

Further, many tens of thousands of Marylanders who are undocumented immigrants may be able to gain temporary immigration status as a result of the Obama Administration’s Executive Action on Immigration, but lawsuit has halted the massive task of implementation. 

At this program, panelists will describe how the cases of unaccompanied children and vulnerable immigrant adults are being handled by the legal services community, as well as the efforts taken to address their mental health and other basic needs. They will also discuss the Multi-Ethnic Domestic Violence Project (MEDOVI), which creates an avenue for victims who are immigrants and their children to get legal status; and how Maryland’s legal community is gearing up to serve even more immigrants.

Participants will learn what they can do to help the unaccompanied children and other vulnerable immigrants in the state.

Our speakers will be:

• Michelle Daugherty Siri, Executive Director, and Suzanne Bailey, MEDOVI Director, Women’s Law Center;
• Alejandra Morisi, Staff Attorney and Valerie Twanmoh, Director of Esperanza Center, Catholic Charities of Baltimore; and
• Elizabeth Keyes, University of Baltimore; Assistant Professor of Law, Immigrant Rights Clinic.

This program is for Maryland Philanthropy Network members and invited guests only.

A recording of this program is available by contacting Elisabeth Hyleck.

1. http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/programs/ucs/state-by-state-uc-placed-sponsors