Practice Advisories & Brief Bank
Public immigration practice advisories, sample briefs, template motions, amicus briefs, and government guidance, organized in one searchable index and linked to the original host.
Filters
| Resource | Source | Topics | Date | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
March 2026 Visa Bulletin: What It Means for SIJS YouthExplains March 2026 visa-bulletin movement affecting SIJS youth in the EB-4 category and the resulting timing and adjustment consequences for pending cases. Why it matters: High-value update for anyone counseling SIJS clients on whether filing windows, priority dates, or adjustment strategy have shifted. |
National Immigration Project National Direct PDF available |
Children and SIJS
Special immigrant
Adjustment of status
USCIS
Cross-forum
|
Feb 26, 2026 | |
Quick Guide to Release from Immigration Detention for SIJS YouthQuick guide on detention-release arguments for SIJS youth, including practical reminders on posture, custody, and the limits of older detention assumptions. Why it matters: Worth keeping in the children-and-detention lane because it addresses a niche but recurring problem that often does not fit standard adult detention guides. |
National Immigration Project National |
Children and SIJS
Detention / bond
Special immigrant
Immigration court
Cross-forum
|
Jan 13, 2026 | |
Template Release Request to Field Office Juvenile Coordinator (FOJC)Call and message your members of Congress telling them to oppose any effort to give ICE and Border Patrol more funding. Why it matters: Useful as a drafting starting point for Special Immigrant work in Immigration Judge; adapt the facts, authority, and venue-specific requirements before use. |
National Immigrant Justice Center National Direct PDF available |
Special immigrant
Children and SIJS
Immigration court
BIA
|
Feb 28, 2025 | |
Velasquez v. Miranda Supreme Court of PennsylvaniaVelasquez v. Miranda Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (February 1 2024). NIWAP, represented by K & L Gates, filed an amicus brief on appeal from the judgement of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania dated June 20, 2023. The amicus brief argues that any confusion regarding the role of Pennsylvania courts in the process of obtaining SIJ status jeopardizes the ability of a child who is otherwise eligible for SIJ status to receive the protections created for them by Congress. State courts must fulfill th Why it matters: Useful as an amicus or advocacy example on Special Immigrant; confirm the cited authority and procedural posture before adapting it. |
NIWAP Library National Direct PDF available |
Special immigrant
Children and SIJS
Immigration court
BIA
|
Jan 7, 2025 | |
Velasquez v. MirandaThe Pennsylvania Supreme Court reversed the superior court decision and remanded back to the custody court. Why it matters: Useful as an amicus or advocacy example on Special Immigrant; confirm the cited authority and procedural posture before adapting it. |
NIWAP Library National Direct PDF available |
Special immigrant
Children and SIJS
Cross-forum
|
Sep 30, 2024 | |
Special Immigrant Juvenile StatusGuardianship of S.H.R. v. Jesus Rivas (March 21, 2022; August 15, 2022) Supreme Court of California. NIWAP, represented by Manatt, Phelps and Phillips, filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court of California in a case in which the Court of Appeals wrongly denied an SIJS eligible child SIJS predicate findings. The amicus brief detailed the legislative and regulatory history of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status and discussed how the approach taken by the Court of Appeals directly contradicts this Why it matters: Useful as a source-specific directory when you want a quick way to browse BIA Appeals materials without searching the entire site. |
NIWAP Library National Direct PDF available |
BIA appeals
Federal court
Special immigrant
Children and SIJS
Immigration court
BIA
Court of appeals
|
Apr 25, 2024 | |
Sample Memo in Support of Guardianship and Request for Special Findings for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) Post-18 Cases (Illinois)Call and message your members of Congress telling them to oppose any effort to give ICE and Border Patrol more funding. Why it matters: Useful as a drafting starting point for Special Immigrant work in Immigration Judge; adapt the facts, authority, and venue-specific requirements before use. |
National Immigrant Justice Center National Direct PDF available |
Special immigrant
Children and SIJS
Immigration court
|
Feb 27, 2024 | |
Sample Memo of Law In Support of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) Findings (Illinois)Call and message your members of Congress telling them to oppose any effort to give ICE and Border Patrol more funding. Why it matters: Useful as a drafting starting point for Special Immigrant work in Immigration Judge; adapt the facts, authority, and venue-specific requirements before use. |
National Immigrant Justice Center National Direct PDF available |
Special immigrant
Children and SIJS
Immigration court
|
Feb 27, 2024 | |
Sample Petition for Guardianship for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) (Illinois)Call and message your members of Congress telling them to oppose any effort to give ICE and Border Patrol more funding. Why it matters: Useful as a drafting starting point for Special Immigrant work in Immigration Judge; adapt the facts, authority, and venue-specific requirements before use. |
National Immigrant Justice Center National Direct PDF available |
Special immigrant
Children and SIJS
Immigration court
|
Feb 27, 2024 | |
Sample Petition for Guardianship with Motion for SIJS Findings Post-18 (Illinois)Call and message your members of Congress telling them to oppose any effort to give ICE and Border Patrol more funding. Why it matters: Useful as a drafting starting point for Special Immigrant work in Immigration Judge; adapt the facts, authority, and venue-specific requirements before use. |
National Immigrant Justice Center National Direct PDF available |
Special immigrant
Immigration court
|
Feb 27, 2024 | |
Sample Petition for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) Allocation of Parental Responsibilities (Cook County, Illinois)Call and message your members of Congress telling them to oppose any effort to give ICE and Border Patrol more funding. Why it matters: Useful as a drafting starting point for Removal Defense work in Immigration Judge; adapt the facts, authority, and venue-specific requirements before use. |
National Immigrant Justice Center National Direct PDF available |
Removal defense
Special immigrant
Children and SIJS
Immigration court
|
Feb 27, 2024 | |
https://niwaplibrary.wcl.american.edu/pubs/nvart-decisionNvart decision (January 20 2006) [pdf] Published November 1, 2023 Why it matters: Useful as an amicus or advocacy example on Removal Defense; confirm the cited authority and procedural posture before adapting it. |
NIWAP Library National Direct PDF available |
Removal defense
Special immigrant
VAWA / U / T
Cross-forum
|
Nov 1, 2023 |