On Wednesday, January 20^th, Lenni Benson and Claire R. Thomas traveled to Albany to present at an event at Albany Law School, entitled “Immigrant Children & Family Courts in New York State: Challenges and Avenues for Relief.” The first part of the event raised awareness of the danger involved in the journey unaccompanied minors take when fleeing their home countries and crossing multiple borders, including the United States/Mexico border. The second part of the event, during which Lenni and Claire presented, sought to educate attorneys and community members regarding the legal struggles faced by unaccompanied minors in the complicated immigration system and obtaining Special Immigrant Juvenile Status or asylum protection in the United States. Other panelists included the Honorable Richard Rivera of the Albany County Family Court; Professor Sarah Rogerson, Director of the Albany Law School Clinic & Justice Center, and Albany Law Student interns James McPartlon, Natalia Faras, and Andrew Matott.

Lenni and Claire would like to extend a special thank you to Lisa D. Mendel, an attorney at Meyers & Meyers and a Safe Passage pro bono attorney for her help in planning and coordinating the program and to Professor Rogerson, Clinical Law Fellow Mary Armistead, and the Albany Law Student interns for their hard work in putting on a very successful event.