The Second Department, reversing Family Court, determined the child’s motion for findings enabling him to petition for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) should have been granted:
“This Court’s power to review the evidence is as broad as that of the hearing court, and where, as here, the record is sufficiently complete to make our own factual determinations, we may do so” … . Based upon our independent factual review, we conclude that the record supports a finding that reunification of the child with one or both of his parents is not a viable option based upon parental neglect … . The record reflects that the child’s parents did not provide him with adequate supervision or medical care, and that they failed to meet the child’s educational needs. Furthermore, the record also supports a finding that it would not be in the best interests of the child to return to Honduras, his previous country of nationality or country of last habitual residence. The child indicated that he was assaulted by gang members in Honduras on multiple occasions, once leaving him with a broken rib and a scar on his head, and that he had witnessed a drive-by shooting at his school which resulted in the death of his schoolmate. In addition, the child stated that the gang members tried to recruit him, but he refused to join, and that the gang members were “killing people if they didn’t want to join.” The child stated that he “felt scared all the time and could no longer live a normal life,” and that he “basically stayed inside [his] house all the time” out of fear that he “was going to be attacked again” … . Matter of Victor R. C. O. v Canales, 2019 NY Slip Op 03789, Second Dept 5-15-19