Moses Singer achieves Pro Bono victory

In 2017, Moses Singer began representing Nelson*, a 13-year-old Guatemalan undocumented immigrant, on a pro bono basis.  Nelson grew up in Guatemala and was allegedly subjected to abuse at home. Nelson’s mother lived in New York with her parents, Nelson’s grandparents. Eventually, Nelson fled Guatemala with a “coyote” and crossed the US border to Texas. Upon crossing the border, Nelson was detained by US Immigration officials and placed in a detention center, and then transported to New York to live with his mother and grandparents.

When US Immigration officials initiated a deportation proceeding, with the assistance of a non-profit agency, Kids in Need of Defense, Moses Singer began representing Nelson in the deportation action, as well as proceedings in New York Family Court.  In 2019, a Family Court Judge granted Nelson “Special Immigrant Juvenile Status.” And then, after years of proceedings before the Immigration Court, in early-2023, the Moses Singer lawyers working on the case successfully obtained an order of dismissal terminating the deportation action.

Nelson is now 18, lives with his family in New York, and is on the path to a green card, and in due time, US citizenship.

* For privacy, names have been changed.