U.S. Supreme Court to Decide Fate of Child Immigrants Under CSPA
Today the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide a case that will help determine the future of many young adults who entered the United States as children, immigrating with their parents.
The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) was enacted in 2002 to benefit young adults who turned 21 years old before their green card applications were approved. A green card "waiting list" for certain categories of applicants (anyone who is not an immediate relative of a U.S. citizen) prevents many people from obtaining lawful permanent residency (a green card) before they reach adulthood. This is called "aging out," and it has become a common phenomenon. Under the CSPA, a calculation is used to determine whether someone who has "aged out" is still eligible to receive a green card.
Many young adults are found ineligible for a green card using the CSPA calculation. The Supreme Court is about to rule on a case that will determine whether some of these immigrants should be eligible regardless. Read more about this story here: