Description
Summary: The Unaccompanied Minors Program (UMP) protects the rights of young immigrants to make informed decisions about their lives. Annually, we defend and counsel thousands of young people facing family separation, government detention, and deportation. UMP serves unaccompanied non-citizen youth who are currently detained by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) in juvenile facilities in the Lower Hudson Valley, Long Island, and New York City, as well as youth who have left these facilities and reside in New York City.
We are committed to ensuring that non-citizen youth have access to the information and support they need to fully exercise their rights and to meaningfully participate in their own removal defense. Each year, we provide robust legal representation to hundreds of minors facing removal and give legal information to thousands of minors in federal immigration custody. Outside the courtroom, UMP provides educational and integration opportunities for non-citizen youth, and we connect young people with supportive social services in the communities where they live.
The Migration Assistant provides administrative assistance to UMP. The position includes exposure to youth who have suffered abuse, abandonment, neglect, or other trauma.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following.
Other duties may be assigned.
- Review, sort, and route incoming mail for all staff. Identify correspondence that requires immediate attention and bring it to the attention of appropriate staff members.
- Timely and accurately use the client management database, LawLogix, to maintain and update client records. This may include recording deadlines and event reminders, inputting information of all correspondence received for or from clients, tracking information obtained from stakeholders, and other information as needed.
- Monitor the scheduling of immigration court hearings for ORR-detained youth. Track and communicate court hearing information regarding ORR-detained children to colleagues in-house.
- Communicate professionally and accurately with stakeholders (staff from EOIR, DHS, ORR, etc.).
- Conduct outreach phone calls with potential clients and follow up as needed. Send letters to clients/potential clients as directed. Document all communications in LawLogix.
- Process documents for ORR-involved youth, track releases, and send referral letters. Request documents from stakeholders as needed.
- Process referrals on the Unaccompanied Children Online Referral Database.
- Manage and update spreadsheets or databases as assigned.
- Ensure that digital and physical files are organized and updated.
- Assist with monthly reporting and record-keeping.
- File correspondence and other documents in clients’ digital and physical files. Provide other administrative support, including filing, photocopying, archiving, and mailing.
- Receive and greet the public and clients at the front desk. Answer, route, and document incoming phone calls. Assess the nature of walk-in inquiries and refer to appropriate staff for further action.
- Maintain client information confidential.
- Adhere to Agency and UMP protocols.
- Assist in projects to meet programmatic needs.
- Other duties as assigned.
Position Type and Expected Hours of Work:
This is a full-time position. Days and hours of work are generally 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily Monday through Friday.
Working conditions and physical demands required:
The demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
- Remain stationary at a workstation and/or use a computer at least 60% of the time.
- Ability to operate standard office equipment such as but not limited to a computer, copy machine, fax, scanner, telephone, postage machine, and printer.
- Ability to timely respond to phone calls, emails, instant messages, and correspondence.
- Ability to transport, lift, and file documents/supplies in cabinets.
- Ability to transport, lift, and carry a laptop.
- Ability to arrange and move office equipment such as tables, chairs, and electronic gear in preparation for group meetings/events as needed.
- Occasional travel to attend or assist at meetings and special events using public transportation and traversing city streets. Occasionally ascend/descend stairs and be exposed to outside weather conditions.
This is a non-exempt, hourly position. The hourly pay range is $27.47 to $30.22 based on a 35-hour work week ($50,000.00 to $55,000.00 per year).
Qualifications
- High School degree or equivalent. Some college education is a plus.
- Full professional proficiency in English and Spanish.
- Excellent communication, organizational, interpersonal, and time management skills.
- Comfort using technology and inputting data, including experience with Microsoft Office.
- Highly motivated to engage in professional development.
- Comfort with problem-solving and with raising issues to supervisors with a solutions-based focus.
- Commitment to public interest work and/or children’s issues.
- Willingness and flexibility to shuffle work assignments to meet program requirements.
- Strong customer service skills, attention to detail, and ability to remain poised under pressure.
