FAMILY COURT SHOULD HAVE MADE FINDINGS WHICH WOULD ALLOW THE CHILDREN TO APPLY FOR SPECIAL IMMIGRANT JUVENILE STATUS (SECOND DEPT).
The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined Family Court should have made findings which would allow the children to petition for special immigrant juvenile state (SIJS):
… [B]ased upon our independent factual review, the record supports a finding that reunification of the children with their father is not viable due to the father’s abandonment of the children …., and educational neglect of the child … . Further, the record supports a finding that it would not be in the best interests of the children to return to Guatemala, their previous country of nationality or country of last habitual residence … . Matter of Briceyda M. A. X. (Hugo R. A. O.–Maria H. X. C.), 2021 NY Slip Op 00180, Second Dept 1-13-21