Maria Woltjen
Director of the Immigrant Children's Advocacy Project and Lecturer in Law
1111 East 60th Street
Chicago, IL 60637
email: mwoltjen@uchicago.edu

Current Year Courses

• 49901 48 Independent Research
  Second- and third-year students may earn course credit by independent research under the supervision of a member of the faculty. Such projects are arranged by consultation between the student and the particular member of the faculty in whose field the proposed topic falls.
  Autumn (3)
  
  
• 65013 1 Immigrant Children's Advocacy Project
  The Immigrant Children s Advocacy Project works to promote the best interests of unaccompanied immigrant children in the United States. Last year, 7,787 undocumented children - traveling by themselves, without parents - were apprehended and detained by immigration authorities as they tried to enter the United States, primarily from Central America, Mexico, China and India. The children have been transported by hired smugglers or have made the journey on their own. Most are fleeing extreme poverty, political or religious persecution, child labor and abusive family situations. The Project provides unaccompanied immigrant children with guardians ad litem (Child Advocates) whose objective it is to help figure out what brought the children to the United States and advocate on their behalf while they are subject to immigration court removal proceedings. The Project also develops policy recommendations concerning unaccompanied children nationally, informed by serving as guardian ad litem for individual children. Students will be assigned to serve as Child Advocate for individual children in federal custody as well as children living with sponsors in the Chicago area. Students will be expected to meet with the children at least once a week at the shelter on the North side of Chicago; identify the children s eligibility for relief from removal, including asylum and special visas for victims of trafficking, abuse and abandonment; accompany the children to Immigration Court, Cook County Juvenile Court, meetings with United States government officials, and meetings with consular officials from the children s country of origin; conduct legal research to support children s claim for relief from removal in cooperation with attorneys representing the children in Immigration Court, before the Board of Immigration Appeals and the Seventh Circuit; identify and represent the children s best interests; conduct factual research regarding children s presence in the United States, including reasons for departure from country of origin, journey, and time in the United States preceding apprehension, if any; research conditions in the children s countries of origin (e.g., political and economic conditions); develop written recommendations regarding children s best interests; write advocacy briefs on behalf of individual children, incorporating international human rights principles and country-specific legal and factual research; and advocate on the children s behalf with the Office of Refugee Resettlement, Department of Homeland Security and Executive Office for Immigration Review in whatever context is necessary. Students are required to have moderate language skills in Spanish, Mandarin, Hindi or Gujarati. Students will also be required to undergo a DCFS background check (which includes: Sex Offender Clearance, CANTS Clearance, Illinois State Police and FBI Clearance as well as fingerprinting) and medical clearance (tuberculosis screening). See the general rules for all clinical courses for further details governing enrollment and the award of credit.
  Autumn (var) a