Stan Perry joins KIND in urging passage of the Immigration Court Efficiency and Children’s Court Act of 2023
“The bipartisan Immigration Court Efficiency and Children’s Court Act of 2023 would help more unaccompanied children by providing specialized children’s courts with trained judges, court personnel, and counsel, which will promote fairness and a more orderly and efficient process,” Perry said.
Perry spoke at a press conference sponsored by Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), a nonprofit dedicated to providing legal counsel to immigrant children fleeing violence, abuse and neglect.
Perry, who serves on KIND’s National Pro Bono Strategic Advisory Group, spoke passionately about his first case representing an undocumented minor, a young girl fleeing violence and persecution in Honduras, after which he realized just how unfair the current system is for children.
“There is no meaningful way for an unrepresented minor to navigate the United States’ Byzantine immigration system, especially for someone who does not speak English,” Perry said.
According to KIND, the proposed bipartisan bill would establish a Children’s Court within the Executive Office for Immigration Review focused on the adjudication of unaccompanied children’s removal proceedings.
“The creation of the Children’s Court would ensure a more child-friendly environment in which unaccompanied children are more likely to receive due process, and relieve strain on the immigration court system nationwide,” said KIND in a statement. “The time is long overdue for Congress to pass legislation ensuring that all unaccompanied children have attorneys.”
“As I think back to all the clients I have represented through KIND, I am always struck by their faith in the United States as a land of hope and dreams, a place of fundamental fairness,” Perry said. “I am grateful that I can play a role in upholding the foundational values of this country and give my clients the chance to access the protection offered under U.S. law.”
Reed Smith provides its lawyers up to 140 hours of billable-hour credit each year for pro bono work, which the firm devotes some 85,000 hours to annually at a market value of more than $50 million.
About KIND
Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) is the leading national organization working to ensure that no child faces immigration court alone. KIND was founded by the Microsoft Corp. and UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie. It has served more than 20,000 unaccompanied children in removal proceedings, trained over 50,000 attendees in pro bono representation of these children, and formed pro bono partnerships with over 670 corporations, law firms, law schools, and bar associations. KIND’s social services program facilitates the coordinated provision to unaccompanied children of counseling, educational support, medical care, and other services. And the organization’s programs in Mexico and Central America work to address the root causes of forced migration and help protect the safety and well-being of migrant children at every phase of their migration journey.
About Reed Smith
Reed Smith is a dynamic international law firm dedicated to helping clients move their businesses forward. With an inclusive culture and innovative mindset, we deliver smarter, more creative legal services that drive better outcomes for our clients. Our deep industry knowledge, long-standing relationships and collaborative structure make us the go-to partner for complex disputes, transactions and regulatory matters. Our team of 3,000 people (including more than 1,700 lawyers) operate across 31 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia to drive progress for our clients, for ourselves and for our communities.
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