Supporting Immigrant Families: What the Family Support Workforce Needs to Know

Resources for Supporting Immigrant Families

People who work with families are uniquely positioned to help immigrant parents navigate the fear and confusion that can come with changing laws and policies. Many families may feel anxious or unsure of their rights, especially with recent policy shifts. During this time, you can offer informed, compassionate guidance that helps families feel safer, more prepared, and more connected to resources.

Children’s Trust partners with Legal Key, a non-profit that provides information about legal rights and systems. Here are some key immigration updates and practical tips you can use to support families today.

Understand What’s Changing

Recent updates to federal immigration policies have caused confusion and concern in many communities:

1. Expanded Expedited Removal now allows Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) officers to detain and deport undocumented individuals who have been in the US for less than two years without seeing an immigration judge.
2. ICE is often present at immigration courthouses, and some individuals have been detained by ICE after their court hearings. Immigration hearings can be accessed virtually through a platform called Webex.
3. Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for some groups, including Venezuelans and Haitians, have expired or are expiring this year. These timelines can be confusing and ongoing legal challenges make the situation fluid.

An Executive Order was issued pausing refugee programs. Legal challenges have been filed with a current court ruling temporarily halting the ban. This can change as new court decisions are issued.

These developments, alongside increased public attention to enforcement, can understandably heighten anxiety for families.

What You Can Do

You don’t need to be an immigration expert to offer meaningful support. Here are a few concrete steps you can take:

1. Encourage Families to Gather Documentation

Carrying the right documents can help protect individuals from expedited removal. Legal Key recommends participants keep copies of:

• Unexpired work permits, TPS cards, or other proof of lawful status
• Proof of entry (I-94 cards, passport stamps)
• Evidence of living in the U.S. for over two years (leases, school records, postmarked mail, medical letters)
• Proof of pending immigration hearings

Having these documents on hand doesn’t guarantee protection, but it can help in urgent situations.

2. Help Families Access Trusted Legal Information

Families can check the status of an immigration application by visiting USCIS.gov and entering a receipt number. If a family doesn’t know their receipt number or A-number, they can contact the USCIS Contact Center or try a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to access their records.

To look up a deportation case, families can visit Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) case status site or call 1-800-898-7180. To find someone who has been detained, use USCIS’s online detainee locator tool.

If possible, families should speak with a qualified immigration lawyer. The MIRA Coalition maintains a list of referrals that is a good place to start.

3. Share a Family Preparedness Plan

Boston Medical Center has developed a helpful Family Preparedness Plan [PDF] and Facilitator Guide [PDF], available in both English and Spanish. These tools help families create a plan in case a parent is unexpectedly detained and outline how to arrange emergency contacts, childcare, and legal support.

4. Know the Limits and the Power of Your Role

As a family support worker, you are not expected to, nor should you, provide legal advice or resolve immigration cases. But your support can still be a lifeline for families. Simply helping a parent find accurate information, connect with a legal resource, or prepare an emergency plan can reduce fear and build trust.

Families may feel overwhelmed, isolated, or afraid to ask questions. Your warm, steady presence can help a family feel supported and stable, and in uncertain times, that matters more than ever.

5. Keep Yourself Updated

Immigration law is changing rapidly, and some of the information shared here may change in the future. For more legal updates and resources you can share with families, visit Legal Key’s Unlocking Access Hub or sign up for their Digital Digest.

If you have specific questions or concerns, you can also reach out to Stephanie Duggan-Lykes, Legal Key, Law and Policy Consultant at slykes@legalpartnership.org.