CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — We've been closely monitoring if and when the 500 - plus children separated from their families by the U.S. government will be returned to their loved ones.
3News spoke with immigration Lawyer Debra Rodriguez who says she's familiar working these types of cases here in the Coastal Bend.
After being detained at the border the children are put in detention centers and shelters across the state.
Rodriguez says some unaccompanied minors she's represented were held at Bokencamp Children's Shelter in Corpus Christi.
Rodriguez says the only chance the child has in order to not be deported is filing for a special immigrant juvenile petition.
“You have to show that a child is a victim of either abuse, neglect, abandonment by one or both of their parents,” said Rodriguez.
Rodriguez says the process to get approved could take four to eight months, so in that time the child is usually transferred to a more comfortable living arrangement.
“Often they will go into a different type of facility that's maybe not so restricted, but it allows them to stay here while they work on their court case,” said Rodriguez.
If the juvenile petition is denied the child is deported. Rodriguez says they usually end up going back to dire living situations. Rodriguez says that could've been the case for one of her clients.
“And he was at risk at the orphanage and unfortunately there was abuse going on and what not, so that's what he would have returned to if we hadn't won the case,” said Rodriguez.
But if the case is approved the child can stay in the united states while they apply for lawful permanent residence.
“Judge we just got this approved now what we are going to be doing, we are going to file an adjustment of status with court because now this client qualifies for a green card and the court will allow that,” said Rodriguez.
3News reached out to detention centers and facilities in the coastal bend area but did not hear back in time for the broadcast.
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