Being an undocumented young person in the United States and trying to navigate accessing a green card can be overwhelming. And on top of that, some young people may deal with harmful relationships with their parents or guardians, leading to more stress in understanding their pathway to remaining in the United States. Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) is a form of immigration relief created to support young people, but the process is complicated and young people need thoughtful information to make an informed decision. They also need the support of a lawyer to navigate the different steps.
That’s why The Door collaborated with CUP and designer Grace Han to create a fold-out poster in English, Spanish, and French called Here to Stay! The guide breaks down what SIJS is, the criteria to qualify, the process young people need to work through with the support of a lawyer, and the long-term benefits of SIJS.
The project launched at a press conference hosted by The Door. A young person, who applied for their green card through SIJS, spoke about their experience at the event. Designer Grace Han also spoke about what it meant to them to work on this project and how excited they are to see this campaign around the city.
The Door is distributing copies of Here to Stay! to thousands of young people in New York City in order to reach those who most need access to this information. With support from the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, the campaign is also currently displayed on LinkNYC kiosks throughout the five boroughs.
Resources & Links
The Door is a nonprofit organization that empowers young people to reach their potential by providing comprehensive development services in a diverse and caring environment. Since 1972, The Door has helped a diverse and rapidly growing population of disconnected youth in New York City gain the tools they need to become successful, in school, work and in life.
Grace Han is an artist and designer from Queens, New York. She is a visiting design critic at the Cooper Union.
Making Policy Public is a program of the Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP). CUP partners with policy advocates and graphic designers to produce foldout posters that explain complicated policy issues, like this one.
Funding Support
Support for this project was provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
Special Thanks
Amadou, Emerzon, Jemima, Jibril, Kelsey, Irvin, Juleen, Sarahi, Jessica, Muriel, and Sarah.