Current CRLAF Fellows
Equal Justice Works Fellow
Eliana Kaimowitz is a CRLAF attorney and Equal Justice Works Fellow, sponsored by Bingham McCutchen LLP. (See EJW Profile here.) Her e-mail is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Eliana directs the Protecting Children of Immigrants Project, which provides legal education and legal services to immigrant parents to prepare their families for the possibility of detention or deportation.The goal of the project is to protect parental rights and to reduce the trauma of children whose parents are taken away by immigration. We educate parents on immigration laws and parental rights through community workshops. We help parents develop plans for the care of their children (both U.S. citizen and undocumented) and understand their rights and legal options in the event a family member is detained or deported. We prepare legal documents (e.g., guardianship and caregiver authorizations) for those parents who choose to express their wishes for children's ongoing care in the U.S. and preserve custody of their children.
Project Resources
- Handout describing "Protecting Children of Immigrants" project goals and activities
- Bibliography of reports on this topic authored by other national organizations
- Proteja Su Familia/ Protect your Family brochures: English Spanish
- "Proteja Su Familia/ Protect your Family" bilingual poster
- CA Short Term Guardianship Power of Attorney Forms: English Spanish
- Senate Bill 1064 "Reuniting Immigrant Families Act website
Media Coverage of Immigrant Families
- Guardian UK news article titled "Alabama parents prepare for the worst: separation from their kids"
- New York Times new article title "Itinerant Life Weighs on Farmworkers' Children"
- Chicago Tribune news article titled "Life after deportation: Young citizens left behind when Mom and Dad leave country"
- Video "Insecure Communities: Families Under Threat" created by the Center for Constitutional Rights documenting the lives of families where parents face deportation
