Family Voices Immigration Toolkit

The Family Voices Immigration Toolkit* is a collection of documents designed to inform, empower, and assist families of children and youth with special health care needs(CYSHCN) and the professionals who support them to prepare for the possibility of an emergent immigration situation and/or to collect supporting documentation that accurately reflects the extent of hardship on the health and well-being of a child with SHCN if s/he or the caregiver is detained or removed. (*This toolkit is not intended to be legal advice)
For Families
Tip Sheets (click document name to download) CYSHCN Document Checklist.  This Tip Sheet is designed to assist families of CYSHCN who may be facing detention or removal collect all types of information and documents in a central location so that the care of the CYSHCN can continue seamlessly regardless of the emergent immigration situation. Spanish version here. Childcare Options.  This Tip Sheet is a guide to inform and assist families in beginning very difficult conversations regarding what informal and formal childcare arrangements can be made for their children if they are detained temporarily or removed permanently from the U.S. Spanish version here. Know Your Rights with ICE.  This Tip Sheet is designed to simply and clearly address the rights of families, and how they can exercise them, if they encounter immigration enforcement. How to Choose a Doctor to Write a Letter in Support.  This Tip Sheet can help a family to sort through their own experiences and relationships to determine which physician or health professional will write the most informative and persuasive letter in support of their immigration case. Spanish version here. Resources. Here are additional resources. These resources can help guide your family with discussions and decisions concerning immigration issues. These are not intended to be legal advice. **NOTE: The above Tip Sheets can also be used by professionals. For example, use the Documentation checklist as a tool for educating an immigration attorney about the complex life of a CYSHCN and introduce them to the types of information and evidence that can be collected in support of the immigration claim.
Template Letter (click document name to download and modify for your needs) Introductory letter to assist families with asking a physician or healthcare professional to write a letter in support of an immigration case.  Some families may fear or feel uncomfortable revealing immigration issues to physicians and asking them for assistance in the matters. Additionally, they may feel unsure as to what information is needed. Using this introductory letter and a physician template letter will simplify the process.
For Professionals
Tip Sheets (click to download) How to Identify Immigration Status.  This is a searchable document that can be used to piece together someone’s status (i.e., you know some bits of information but still not sure what the legal status is) or when you want to know more about a status (i.e., whether there is permission accompanying the status). How to Ask About Immigration Status.  When asked directly, some families may not feel comfortable sharing their status or may not know the details of their status. This Tip Sheet suggests safe and creative ways to ask questions that can be used to determine immigration status so that you can better support families.
Template Letters (click document name to download and modify for your needs) Introductory letter to assist advocates or any other professional involved with CYSHCN with asking a physician or healthcare professional to write a letter in support of an immigration case. Three types of template letters for Physician or healthcare professional to write in support of an immigration case. Most physicians want to write support letters but are unsure of what information to include. These templates enable physicians to detail complex medical information that provides the most evidence for an immigration case. o Narrative:  This sample letter has both fill in the blank sections and prompts for the physician who wishes to write a narrative letter in support of the immigration matter. o Long checklist/fill in the blank:  This letter is designed to be either completed by hand or online and simply requires a physician or healthcare professional to fill in the medical information that can be used to prove necessary elements of an immigration claim. Spanish version here. o Short checklist:  This is a less detailed version of the fill-in-the-blank template.