Our Mission, Vision & Values
Our Mission:
ICARE leads a coalition of legal service organizations to ensure unaccompanied immigrant children and youth facing deportation have access to free legal representation so lawyers can focus on what matters most: children.
New York City has a strong network of legal service providers for unaccompanied immigrant children and youth. But without coordination, too many fall through the cracks, or wait too long for help. The difference is structural, and coordination is what makes that difference possible.
We lead a coalition of legal service providers including Catholic Charities Community Services, Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), The Legal Aid Society, Safe Passage Project, and The Door, to ensure children are identified and connected to representation quickly.
Our Vision:
We envision a New York City where all immigrant child and youth at risk of deportation have access to legal representation in court.
Our Values:
We believe in the transformative power of community & partnership, uniting our diverse strengths to create a thriving network of support and collaboration.
We embrace innovation & expertise, ensuring that we continually provide quality legal services while pushing for forward-thinking solutions.
Our approach is rooted in being client-centered & trauma informed, ensuring that every interaction is empathetic, respectful, and sensitive to the needs of each young person.
Advocacy is at the heart of our mission, as we champion the rights, voices and dignity of young immigrants.
We are dedicated to fostering autonomy by encouraging young immigrants to make informed decisions and take ownership of their choices.