Launched in September 2018 in response to the U.S. government’s “Zero Tolerance” policy and following and international co-counseling model, the Vance Center’s Keep Families Together (KFT) initiative connects foreign pro bono counsel to U.S. pro bono immigration counsel representing children, families, and asylum seekers.
As of 2021, the Vance Center collaborates with 100 U.S. and foreign corporate law firms, pro bono clearinghouses, non-profit organizations, bar associations and university legal clinics to support the legal representation of over 170 of separated children and families, leading to many reunifications and permanent forms of immigration relief in the U.S.
Thanks to its clearinghouse partners in the Pro Bono Network of the Americas and beyond, Keep Families Together operates in partnership with lawyers in 20 countries around the globe: Angola, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nepal & Nicaragua.
OUR SERVICES
Through KFT, foreign pro bono lawyers obtain vital evidence from to support children & families’ home countries, including (but not limited to):
Birth certificates
Death certificates
Criminal Records
Medical & Hospital Records
Exit documentation (passports)
Foreign pro bono lawyers also:
Draft witness statements, affidavits, and Power of Attorney (POA) documents
Amend birth certificates and identity documents before relevant courts and civil registries
Perform process of service to parents or family abroad
Obtain expert testimony on foreign and transnational family and law issues
Represent children and families in domestic family law issues (adoption, guardianship, custody, etc.)
OUR U.S PRO BONO IMMIGRATION COUNCIL PARTNERS
Keep Families Together accepts pro bono referrals from corporate law firms, non-profit organizations, professional associations & university legal clinics. It has accepted referrals from 55 such entities in the United States. Current partners include:
Please contact Director of Pro Bono Partnerships, Jorge Escobedo at jescobedo@nycbar.org for more information.
UPDATES
With support from the Tinker Foundation , the Vance Center convened 45 immigration & family separation experts from across the United States and Latin America in a workshop at the New York City Bar Association in June 2019. With immigration provider organizations, law firm pro bono counsel, and clearinghouse partners in the Pro Bono Network of the Americas in attendance, we identified new ways to further the Keep Families Together initiative and are in the process of implementing this expansion.
See What's New
March 2022
Vance Center Honors Keep Families Together Partners