Undocumented immigrant children are one of the most vulnerable sectors of society. When they suffer abuse, the Administration for Children's Services (ACS) removes them from their homes and places them in foster care. Many of them are eligible for permanent residency under the federal act known as SIJS, or Special Immigrant Juvenile Status.

With the aim of protecting these children, New York City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn announced new legislation yesterday that would improve the services to which these children have a right.

The legislation would ensure that ACS identify children who are currently in foster care and eligible for SIJS as soon as possible, so that they can receive all of the benefits they have a right to by law. These include permanent residency and school credit to apply towards college.

"This legislation is going to provide protection to a group of New Yorkers that truly needs it. Many of these minors are eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, which is a legal status that allows them to obtain legal residency," said Quinn.

"Unfortunately, ACS doesn't have a plan to help these children obtain that protection, which means they could get deported," she added. Quinn stressed the urgency of the legislation given that there are hundreds of minors who are unaware they are eligible for SIJS; once they turn 21, they lose the opportunity to become eligible and can get deported.

Councilmember Ydanis Rodríguez (D-District 10) said that as a teacher, he supports the legislation because it will help undocumented minors in foster care to earn school credit towards enrolling in CUNY or SUNY and building a career.

Others who support the initiative include Council Members Fernando Cabrera (D-District 14), Robert Jackson (D-District 7), María del Carmen Arroyo (D-District 17), and Daniel Dromm (D-District 25), who said, "Immigrant children deserve the same rights as everybody else, and this bill will help them receive the services they need under the supervision of ACS."