KIND is a non-profit working to bring more legal & support services to unaccompanied refugee & immigrant children in the US.
Currently they work in DC, Baltimore, Boston, NYC, Texas, Newark, and LA. They have a Pro Bono Referral form to intake children’s cases & find legal counsel for them.
The group also does advocacy, pushing for reform in Congress & the federal government.
KIND has resources & matching for unaccompanied children in the US, and they also have initiated a program to help children who have been removed from the US back to their home country. Their Guatemalan Child Return & Reintegration Project is a pilot to help children return safely, if they’ve left the US voluntarily or been removed.
Their self-description from their site:
KIND was founded by Angelina Jolie and the Microsoft Corporation to create a pro bono movement of law firms, corporations, nongovernmental organizations, universities and volunteers to provide quality and compassionate legal counsel to unaccompanied refugee and immigrant children in the United States.
KIND serves as the leading organization for the protection of unaccompanied children who enter the US immigration system alone and strives to ensure that no such child appears in immigration court without representation. We achieve fundamental fairness through high-quality legal representation and by advancing the child’s best interests, safety, and well-being.
How Does KIND Provide Legal Services?
KIND has offices in eight cities in the United States – Baltimore, Boston, Houston, Newark, New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Washington DC. KIND finds pro bono attorneys in highly regarded law firms and corporations who agree to represent KIND’s child clients in their immigration proceedings. KIND pro bono coordinators in each office provide training on representing unaccompanied children in the U.S. immigration system and comprehensive mentorship until the case is completed. No immigration experience is necessary.
Changing the System
KIND advocates for changes in U.S. law, policy, and practice to improve the treatment and protection of unaccompanied children in the United States. We do this through administrative and legislative advocacy and through public outreach and trainings.
Helping Children Who Are Returning Home
KIND recognizes that not all unaccompanied children are eligible to remain in the United States, but we firmly believe that these children deserve lawyers to help them return in the best way possible. Through a pilot project in Guatemala — the Guatemalan Child Return and Reintegration Project — KIND and its partner The Global Fund for Children, helps ensure that children returning to their communities in Guatemala have access to the basic services they need to remain safely and securely, as often the conditions that caused them to leave remain the same.
