National Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children

“It is a tremendous honor for USCRI to be starting this Center to help find lawyers to guide children who are alone in the United States,” exclaimed USCRI President and CEO, Lavinia Limón, as she highlighted NCRIC’s role in matching unaccompanied immigrant and refugee children with pro bono attorneys across the country. 

Earlier that evening at the National Press Club, Ms. Jolie outlined plans for the Washington-based Center she supported with a generous two-year seed grant.  

Fact:  Each year, over 7,000 unaccompanied immigrant children arrive in the United States:

• many are fleeing domestic abuse, gang violence, human trafficking, or poverty
• some simply want to reunite with friends or family
• nearly all must fight for their right to stay in this country
• the majority of these children go through immigration proceedings without ever having spoken to an attorney

Most child clients of NCRIC arrive in the United States alone and without resources.  While the majority of these children come from Central America (primarily Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras), some travel from as far as China, Iraq, Russia, and Nigeria.  They have experienced such horrors as trafficking, persecution, or domestic violence.  NCRIC receives referrals of unaccompanied immigrant children from social service professionals, detention attorneys, family members, and concerned individuals in cities all over the country.  Our goal is to help provide these children with the legal and social services necessary to navigate U.S. Immigration Courts.  

To achieve this goal, we periodically hold pro bono trainings across the country for potential volunteer attorneys.  We offer everything from information on various forms of immigrant relief to basic tips on working with children.

We welcome referrals from both legal and social service agencies as well as other concerned citizens.  The best way to make a referral is through our confidential on-line referral system.  If you know of an unaccompanied immigrant child in need of free legal assistance, CLICK HERE--all information will remain confidential.

Tricia Swartz
Director
(703) 310-1130 ext. 3041
tswartz@uscridc.org

Sara McDowell
Senior Immigration Attorney
(703) 310-1130 ext. 3024
smcdowell@uscridc.org

Nina Keres
Immigration Program Coordinator
(703) 310-1130 ext. 3022
nkeres@uscridc.org

Jessica Hansen
Program Officer
(703) 310-1130 ext. 3039
jhansen@uscridc.org

Stacy Jones
Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Fellow
(703) 310-1130 ext. 3122
sjones@uscridc.org

National Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children
U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
2231 Crystal Drive, Suite 350
Arlington, Virginia 22202-3711

Phone: (703) 310-1130
Fax:  (703) 769-4241

Feel free to contact us if you have specific questions, would like to discuss work, intern, or volunteer opportunities or simply want more information about our program.