Los Angeles news channel KABC reported on the story of an 11-year-old-boy named Adan seeking refuge in the United States after multiple attempts to flee gang violence in his home country of El Salvador. Adan’s Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) case is being handled pro bono by retired Milbank partner Linda Dakin-Grimm along with the advocacy group Kids in Need of Defense (KIND).
Ms. Dakin-Grimm has handled dozens of SIJS and other immigration cases with KIND, and continues to lead pro bono teams of lawyers at Milbank that advocate for vulnerable young immigrants like Adan.
Following two failed attempts to enter the US and reunite with his mother, who had fled El Salvador to escape domestic violence, Adan successfully crossed the border two years ago and joined her in the LA area. He now must wait for a decision regarding his SIJS application. Adan is a courageous boy with a compelling story, says Ms. Dakin-Grimm: “He is eager to learn, has a voracious appetite for information, is curious and has a huge heart.” Milbank special counsel Brian Stern represents Adan, and supervised summer associate Julia Wu on the case.
