The U.S. government has approved an alarming number of criminals, gangbangers and alleged murderers for a special classification originally intended for vulnerable migrant children.
Earlier in June, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) revealed shocking findings about the Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) program, a little-known classification that can provide a pathway to permanent residency and citizenship to young illegal migrants who’ve been abandoned or abused by their parents. Investigators discovered that, over the past decade, the SIJ program has experienced a wave of petitions from criminals and adults over 18.
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow — who was sworn in as USCIS director in July — predicts these findings may just be the tip of the iceberg.
“Unfortunately, I do expect to uncover more,” Edlow said to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “The SIJ program has been something that I think USCIS has not been administering appropriately for many years.”
Created by Congress under the Immigration Act of 1990, the SIJ program allows young illegal migrants who a juvenile court determined cannot be reunited with one or both parents because of abandonment, abuse or neglect to apply for SIJ classification, according to USCIS. This special status also allows approved petitioners to apply for lawful permanent status and creates a pathway to citizenship.
Despite being intended for children, eligibility only requires applicants be under 21, unmarried and in the U.S. at the time of their petition, according to the agency. There are currently no criminal bars or good moral character prerequisites for SIJ petition approval.