Hastings College of the Law

Founded in 1954, the University of California, Hastings College of the Law (Hastings) is a public law school in San Francisco, California. The Center for Gender and Refugee Studies (the Center) is an internationally respected legal research and policy organization at Hastings that litigates cases and provides technical assistance to attorneys representing children, women, and other vulnerable immigrants seeking protection in the United States. With this award, the Center convenes child migration experts and advocates in Washington, D.C. to amplify dissemination of its February 2015 report, “Childhood and Migration in Central and North America: Causes, Policies, Practices and Challenges.” The report investigates and examines the root causes of migration of children in the Central America-Mexico-U.S. corridor, as well as the dangers and risks that children face in transit and destination countries, and following repatriation to their home countries.

This grant to the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies at UC Hastings School of Law will support a coordinated effort to address the rising number of unaccompanied immigrant children who seek legal protection in the United States each year. The Center, in coordination with Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC) will expand training programs for pro bono attorneys, provide technical assistance in individual cases, and track cases nationwide. This joint effort will identify trends and inform policy makers seeking to improve the protection regime for unaccompanied immigrant children in the United States.

This grant to the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies at UC Hastings School of Law will support a coordinated effort to address the rising number of unaccompanied immigrant children who seek legal protection in the United States each year. The Center, in coordination with Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC) will expand training programs for pro bono attorneys, provide technical assistance in individual cases, and track cases nationwide. This joint effort will identify trends and inform policy makers seeking to improve the protection regime for unaccompanied immigrant children in the United States.