The mission-driven work of the New Jersey Consortium for Immigrant Children (NJCIC) is more critical now than ever before. In our Grantee Spotlight, learn more about NJCIC and their mission.
Founded in 2015, NJCIC mobilizes allies across immigration law and other disciplines to welcome and serve unaccompanied children (UCs) to New Jersey. During the height of the family separation crisis, New Jersey experienced a more than twofold increase of UCs new to the state. These children arrived without strong networks of support nor access to critical legal relief and interrelated services. At the center of NJCIC’s mission is a holistic model developed to meet the needs and aspirations of immigrant children and youth, including the more than 35,000 unaccompanied children released to sponsors in New Jersey over the last decade. Today, NJCIC serves as the statewide legal services and policy advocacy organization dedicated to empowering New Jersey’s young immigrants. NJCIC works toward a just and equitable New Jersey where young immigrants can flourish and lead full, fearless lives by 1) providing holistic, youth-centered legal representation, 2) driving systemic change to advance immigrant rights, and 3) building community through collaboration and education.
Three pillars shape NJCIC’s programmatic approach:
- Holistic, youth-centered legal representation. refers young immigrants to peer legal service providers for high-quality, free legal representation through its role as the central intake and referral hub for the state-funded Legal Representation for Children and Youth Program (LRP). Their Legal Team also provides direct legal representation, advice, and counsel to immigrant youth.
- Driving change to advance immigrants’ rights. NJCIC’s Policy Team drives systemic change to advance the rights of NJ’s young immigrants via advocacy campaigns addressing policy and systems affecting equitable access to justice, health, and education. Narrative change and youth development are facilitated through NJCIC’s Immigrant Youth Advocates program for first- and second-generation immigrant students.
- Building community through collaboration and education. NJCIC’s community of practice, the Consortium, has grown to 175+ professionals representing more than 25 organizations working with young immigrants. The Consortium lends the convening power and movement-building that, in large part, shapes the collaboration and education piece of NJCIC’s mission across its Legal and Policy Advocacy efforts.
NJCIC has been led by Executive Director Priscilla Monico Marín since early 2022. In September 2024, Schumann Fund awarded $45,000 to NJCIC in program support for its Equity and Access Advocacy Project. NJCIC’s efforts are aligned with Schumann Fund’s child welfare & youth justice program priority and are advanced under our public policy strategy.
“When we work together, a Garden State where young immigrants can reach greater heights and become who they aspire to be is increasingly within reach. NJCIC will continue to meet what is a critical moment for New Jersey’s immigrant communities facing immediate and lasting consequences of federal immigration policy rippling out at the state level. The Schumann Fund for New Jersey’s support of and partnership in our statewide policy advocacy work, which is practiced with care and through collaboration, will allow us to fortify the inroads New Jersey has made in becoming a model state for welcoming, integrating, and advancing immigrant communities.”
-Priscilla Monico Marín, Esq., Executive Director