Edith Sangüeza

The Project

Edith represented young people who had been persecuted, abused, abandoned, or neglected in immigration proceedings, and advocated for their access to public education and other services.

The thousands of immigrant youth in New York, who have fled abuse, neglect, abandonment, or persecution in their home country—and non-citizen youth in the New York City foster care system—have no right to representation in their immigration proceedings. These young people need access to legal representation in order to be able to vindicate their rights and attain the legal status they need in order to have a stable future in the U.S. Furthermore, many of these young people have had their education interrupted because of instability or lack of opportunity in their home country. Through her Fellowship at The Door, Edith represented youth in immigration proceedings and connected them to education, medical, and social services.

Fellowship Highlights

During the two-year Fellowship period, Edith:

• Provided full representation to nearly 50 young people in affirmative and defensive immigration cases and provided advice, brief services, and referrals to an additional 60 young people
• Obtained legal permanent residence for three clients
• Won asylum for one client, who now has a path to citizenship
• Counseled several clients on their school rights, including financial aid, scholarships, special education screening, bullying, and school transfer
• Obtained an IEP for a student who faced push-out from school

Next Steps

Edith remains at The Door as a staff attorney. She continues to represent immigrant youth who have been persecuted, abused, abandoned, or neglected. In 2021, she will complete a clerkship in New York.