There are more than 44,000 child immigrants trapped in the Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) backlog, waiting to apply for a green card. In the meantime, they are vulnerable to deportation, homelessness and abuse.

Children from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala in particular must wait an average of four years to receive green cards after first applying for SIJS. As Congress and the Biden administration push for immigration protections, SIJS children have been left out.