Kids in Need of Defense

Kids in Need of Defense
Harald Krichel · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Kids in Need of Defense
Founded	2008
Founder	Microsoft and Microsoft partners
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Type	Nonprofit legal services organization
Focus	Immigration and child welfare

Kids in Need of Defense is a nonprofit organization that provides legal representation, advocacy, and policy support for unaccompanied and separated children facing immigration proceedings in the United States. Founded with corporate and philanthropic partners, it operates through direct representation, systemic litigation, and coalition-building to influence adjudication, detention, and resettlement practices. The organization engages with a wide array of actors across the legal, humanitarian, and governmental landscapes to protect children’s rights and secure durable immigration outcomes.

History

Established in 2008 amid surges in migration from Central America and following humanitarian crises in Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala, the organization emerged through an initiative involving Microsoft, Pro Bono Net, and the American Bar Association. Early years saw partnerships with UNICEF, UNHCR, and the Office of Refugee Resettlement as it scaled clinics in border states including Texas, Arizona, and California. The group expanded during policy shifts under administrations of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden, responding to executive orders, statutes such as the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, and litigation arising from practices at facilities like the T. Don Hutto Residential Center and the Berks County Residential Center. Over time it formed strategic ties with bar associations including the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the National Association of Counsel for Children.

Mission and Programs

The mission centers on securing legal counsel and protection for children from countries impacted by gang violence, persecution, and natural disasters, including Haiti, Venezuela, and Mexico. Programs include direct representation, community-based legal clinics in collaboration with organizations such as Catholic Charities USA, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, and International Rescue Committee (IRC), and training through platforms like Pro Bono Net. It operates mobile legal intake in border cities such as El Paso, Brownsville, and Nogales, and contributes to capacity building with law schools including Yale Law School, Harvard Law School, Georgetown University Law Center, and University of California, Berkeley School of Law.

Legal Services and Representation

Direct legal services encompass asylum claims, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status petitions under statutes like the INA, and relief under the Convention Against Torture. The organization represents children in proceedings before the EOIR, immigration courts, and the Board of Immigration Appeals, and liaises with USCIS for affirmative applications. Attorneys trained by the organization often collaborate with public defenders, state child welfare agencies such as Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, and juvenile courts in jurisdictions like Los Angeles County and Miami-Dade County to obtain guardianship, release from facilities administered by ICE, or placement via Office of Refugee Resettlement foster care programs.

Policy Advocacy and Impact

The organization pursues impact litigation and administrative advocacy addressing policies implemented by agencies including ICE, DHS, and the HHS. It has filed amicus briefs in cases heard by circuit courts such as the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and participated in rulemaking processes affecting implementation of the Flores Settlement Agreement and the Safe Third Country debates. Its advocacy intersects with NGOs like Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and foundations including the Ford Foundation, influencing congressional oversight by committees such as the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Organizational Structure and Funding

Governance includes a board with leaders from law firms such as Latham & Watkins, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and corporations that have included Microsoft and Google. Funding sources combine philanthropic grants from institutions like the MacArthur Foundation, corporate support from firms such as Meta Platforms, Inc. and Amazon, and pro bono contributions from legal networks such as the National Association for Public Interest Law. Operational hubs are situated in metropolitan centers including Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, and Houston with regional offices linked to nonprofits like CLINIC.

Partnerships and Collaborations

The organization partners with bar associations including the American Bar Association and National Lawyers Guild, humanitarian actors such as Save the Children and Médecins Sans Frontières, and academic institutions like Columbia Law School and Stanford Law School. It collaborates on data-sharing and research projects with think tanks including the Migration Policy Institute and the Brookings Institution, and engages in coalitions with legal services providers such as -- (note: internal reference avoided), Sierra Club (on juvenile environmental migration research), and community organizations like Alianza Americas.

Notable Cases and Litigation

Notable litigation includes challenges to prolonged child detention at sites like Karnes County Residential Center and precedent-setting appeals addressing asylum adjudication standards before courts including the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. The organization has submitted amici briefs in cases concerning expedited removal, withholding of removal, and due process rights in immigration courts, and has supported litigation alongside entities such as the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Immigration Law Center to secure protections for unaccompanied children.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C.