National Center for Youth Law (NCYL)
@youthlaw.bsky.social
We're a national advocacy nonprofit pursuing game-changing solutions that shift power to youth and improve the systems that impact their lives.
More than 340 young people trained this year in leadership, Know Your Rights, and advocacy.
Youth know what justice should look like.
Support youth now: action.youthlaw.org/a/measureoft...
Youth know what justice should look like.
Support youth now: action.youthlaw.org/a/measureoft...
December 24, 2025 at 12:30 AM
More than 340 young people trained this year in leadership, Know Your Rights, and advocacy.
Youth know what justice should look like.
Support youth now: action.youthlaw.org/a/measureoft...
Youth know what justice should look like.
Support youth now: action.youthlaw.org/a/measureoft...
How does trauma shape young people’s lives before, during, and after trafficking? Join the CSEC Action Team and NCCT on Jan 14 for Intersections of Trauma and Trafficking, featuring Maria Contreras (NCYL) and Kelly Kinnish (NCCT) on trauma-informed care and healing.
December 23, 2025 at 6:01 PM
How does trauma shape young people’s lives before, during, and after trafficking? Join the CSEC Action Team and NCCT on Jan 14 for Intersections of Trauma and Trafficking, featuring Maria Contreras (NCYL) and Kelly Kinnish (NCCT) on trauma-informed care and healing.
Across CA and CO, youth led conversations on housing, justice, safety, and belonging. A nation is measured by whether young people are heard.
Donate: action.youthlaw.org/a/measureoft...
Donate: action.youthlaw.org/a/measureoft...
December 23, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Across CA and CO, youth led conversations on housing, justice, safety, and belonging. A nation is measured by whether young people are heard.
Donate: action.youthlaw.org/a/measureoft...
Donate: action.youthlaw.org/a/measureoft...
Shirley and Daniel Freeman, grandparents in their 80s, stood up for thousands of families, and were inducted in the Class Action Hall of Fame this year. We were proud to stand with them in the fight against unjust fees & fines.
December 22, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Shirley and Daniel Freeman, grandparents in their 80s, stood up for thousands of families, and were inducted in the Class Action Hall of Fame this year. We were proud to stand with them in the fight against unjust fees & fines.
As a leading partner in the DFJ campaign, NCYL helped discharge $4.1 million in illegal juvenile fees and secured refunds for 1,200 families.
Dignity means not punishing families for survival.
Give: action.youthlaw.org/a/measureoft...
Dignity means not punishing families for survival.
Give: action.youthlaw.org/a/measureoft...
December 22, 2025 at 4:03 PM
As a leading partner in the DFJ campaign, NCYL helped discharge $4.1 million in illegal juvenile fees and secured refunds for 1,200 families.
Dignity means not punishing families for survival.
Give: action.youthlaw.org/a/measureoft...
Dignity means not punishing families for survival.
Give: action.youthlaw.org/a/measureoft...
In a political climate hostile to youth rights, our bipartisan wins in Colorado this year on youth justice show what’s possible.
Help fuel more wins: action.youthlaw.org/a/measureoft...
Help fuel more wins: action.youthlaw.org/a/measureoft...
December 22, 2025 at 4:00 AM
In a political climate hostile to youth rights, our bipartisan wins in Colorado this year on youth justice show what’s possible.
Help fuel more wins: action.youthlaw.org/a/measureoft...
Help fuel more wins: action.youthlaw.org/a/measureoft...
Colorado invested $10 million in youth pathways to healing — legislation NCYL helped shape.
A rare bright spot in a difficult year.
Donate to fuel advocacy like this in the new year: action.youthlaw.org/a/measureoft...
A rare bright spot in a difficult year.
Donate to fuel advocacy like this in the new year: action.youthlaw.org/a/measureoft...
December 21, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Colorado invested $10 million in youth pathways to healing — legislation NCYL helped shape.
A rare bright spot in a difficult year.
Donate to fuel advocacy like this in the new year: action.youthlaw.org/a/measureoft...
A rare bright spot in a difficult year.
Donate to fuel advocacy like this in the new year: action.youthlaw.org/a/measureoft...
NCYL’s legal and policy advocacy is driven by lived experience. That is why we hosted the Empowered to Lead Summit in Los Angeles County, uplifting the next generation of survivor leaders through professional development and creating vital connections with experienced leaders and allies.
December 21, 2025 at 3:00 AM
NCYL’s legal and policy advocacy is driven by lived experience. That is why we hosted the Empowered to Lead Summit in Los Angeles County, uplifting the next generation of survivor leaders through professional development and creating vital connections with experienced leaders and allies.
NCYL knows that survivors of trafficking deserve safety, not punishment, yet so many survivors are criminalized. Along with our partners, we developed a toolkit to end the incarceration of girls and gender expansive youth.
December 20, 2025 at 8:00 PM
NCYL knows that survivors of trafficking deserve safety, not punishment, yet so many survivors are criminalized. Along with our partners, we developed a toolkit to end the incarceration of girls and gender expansive youth.
AB 1230, a key education bill we fought for this year, creates a fairer path back to school for thousands of expelled students across California. No child should lose their future because of a system stacked against them.
December 20, 2025 at 4:00 AM
AB 1230, a key education bill we fought for this year, creates a fairer path back to school for thousands of expelled students across California. No child should lose their future because of a system stacked against them.
A nation is measured by how it keeps students learning. Our research this year exposed how thousands of students — especially Black, Native, and youth experiencing homelessness — are excluded for minor misconduct.
December 19, 2025 at 8:00 PM
A nation is measured by how it keeps students learning. Our research this year exposed how thousands of students — especially Black, Native, and youth experiencing homelessness — are excluded for minor misconduct.
The Trump administration is keeping immigrant children separated from their families. NCYL's Neha Desai: “The premise that kids are necessarily safer while in government custody than they are in the homes of their families is fundamentally flawed.” www.kqed.org/news/1206756...
The Trump Admin Has All but Stopped Reuniting Detained Migrant Children With Their Families | KQED
Government sources say that for the last six weeks, they’ve been ordered not to release children lacking permanent legal status who are in federal custody to their parents and relatives.
www.kqed.org
December 19, 2025 at 6:32 PM
The Trump administration is keeping immigrant children separated from their families. NCYL's Neha Desai: “The premise that kids are necessarily safer while in government custody than they are in the homes of their families is fundamentally flawed.” www.kqed.org/news/1206756...
The Trump administration is keeping immigrant children separated from their families. NCYL's Neha Desai: “The premise that kids are necessarily safer while in government custody than they are in the homes of their families is fundamentally flawed.” laist.com/news/politic...
Trump admin has all but stopped reuniting detained migrant children with their families
Government sources say that for the last six weeks, they’ve been ordered not to release undocumented children in federal custody to their parents and relatives.
laist.com
December 19, 2025 at 3:01 AM
The Trump administration is keeping immigrant children separated from their families. NCYL's Neha Desai: “The premise that kids are necessarily safer while in government custody than they are in the homes of their families is fundamentally flawed.” laist.com/news/politic...
This year, 76 children — some only 10 years old — were awakened in the middle of the night and put on planes to be deported. We went to court with co-counsel and stopped those flights, forcing the government to respect these children’s rights. Moments like this are why NCYL’s expertise matters.
December 18, 2025 at 2:00 AM
This year, 76 children — some only 10 years old — were awakened in the middle of the night and put on planes to be deported. We went to court with co-counsel and stopped those flights, forcing the government to respect these children’s rights. Moments like this are why NCYL’s expertise matters.
NCYL's Becky Wolozin spoke with @themarshallproject.org about ICE's long-term detention of kids:
"The goal of this administration is to create as much pain as possible to the most vulnerable people in the hopes that that will mean they can more easily carry out whatever their deportation goals are."
"The goal of this administration is to create as much pain as possible to the most vulnerable people in the hopes that that will mean they can more easily carry out whatever their deportation goals are."
Analysis by The Marshall Project of ICE data obtained by the Deportation Data Project found that the Trump administration’s revival of family detention has swept thousands of children into ICE custody. At least 3,800 children under 18, including 20 infants, have been booked since Trump took office.
ICE Threw Thousands of Kids in Detention, Many For Longer Than Court-Prescribed Limit
Former immigration staffers argue ICE is choosing to detain families for prolonged periods to speed deportations and compel them to leave.
www.themarshallproject.org
December 17, 2025 at 11:43 PM
NCYL's Becky Wolozin spoke with @themarshallproject.org about ICE's long-term detention of kids:
"The goal of this administration is to create as much pain as possible to the most vulnerable people in the hopes that that will mean they can more easily carry out whatever their deportation goals are."
"The goal of this administration is to create as much pain as possible to the most vulnerable people in the hopes that that will mean they can more easily carry out whatever their deportation goals are."
Mateo, a child held in federal custody for a prolonged period of time due to the government’s new policies, told the court: “It is wrong to make kids live in shelters for so much time.”
The measure of our nation is whether we listen.
The measure of our nation is whether we listen.
December 17, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Mateo, a child held in federal custody for a prolonged period of time due to the government’s new policies, told the court: “It is wrong to make kids live in shelters for so much time.”
The measure of our nation is whether we listen.
The measure of our nation is whether we listen.
NCYL’s Neha Desai spoke with @huffpost.com about ICE’s targeting children and the terrible choices families are being forced to make.
Read the full story here: www.huffpost.com/entry/immigr...
Read the full story here: www.huffpost.com/entry/immigr...
December 16, 2025 at 8:49 PM
NCYL’s Neha Desai spoke with @huffpost.com about ICE’s targeting children and the terrible choices families are being forced to make.
Read the full story here: www.huffpost.com/entry/immigr...
Read the full story here: www.huffpost.com/entry/immigr...
For 28 years, the landmark Flores settlement has protected immigrant children in federal custody, ensuring they have access to basic needs like food, water, and safety. In 2025, NCYL and co-counsel defended it yet again — and won.
December 16, 2025 at 1:00 AM
For 28 years, the landmark Flores settlement has protected immigrant children in federal custody, ensuring they have access to basic needs like food, water, and safety. In 2025, NCYL and co-counsel defended it yet again — and won.
NCYL’s Darya Larizadeh spoke with @abc7news.bsky.social about Mayor Mahan’s push to roll back SB 203. This law ensures youth get legal guidance before talking to police. Kids deserve support and fairness, not fear. Now is not the time to go backward. #ProtectSB203
December 15, 2025 at 8:42 PM
NCYL’s Darya Larizadeh spoke with @abc7news.bsky.social about Mayor Mahan’s push to roll back SB 203. This law ensures youth get legal guidance before talking to police. Kids deserve support and fairness, not fear. Now is not the time to go backward. #ProtectSB203
At our Bright Futures Forum this year, students shared how homelessness and climate disasters shape their education. We listened. We carried their solutions to leaders statewide.
Support dignity in education: action.youthlaw.org/a/measureoft...
Support dignity in education: action.youthlaw.org/a/measureoft...
December 15, 2025 at 3:00 AM
At our Bright Futures Forum this year, students shared how homelessness and climate disasters shape their education. We listened. We carried their solutions to leaders statewide.
Support dignity in education: action.youthlaw.org/a/measureoft...
Support dignity in education: action.youthlaw.org/a/measureoft...
When federal civil rights protections for students were dismantled, NCYL stepped in. We launched the Education Defense Fund to build a national infrastructure that protects students when the government will not.
This is meeting the moment.
This is meeting the moment.
December 13, 2025 at 7:00 PM
When federal civil rights protections for students were dismantled, NCYL stepped in. We launched the Education Defense Fund to build a national infrastructure that protects students when the government will not.
This is meeting the moment.
This is meeting the moment.
El camino de cada persona defensora es diferente, y sabemos que alzar la voz para lograr un cambio puede sentirse abrumador. 🌟
December 12, 2025 at 1:00 AM
El camino de cada persona defensora es diferente, y sabemos que alzar la voz para lograr un cambio puede sentirse abrumador. 🌟
Every advocate’s journey is different, and we know raising your voice for change can feel overwhelming. 🌟 That’s why our new Spanish Federal Advocacy Toolkit for Parents and Caregivers includes practical resources and tips to support your safety and well-being every step of the way.
December 12, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Every advocate’s journey is different, and we know raising your voice for change can feel overwhelming. 🌟 That’s why our new Spanish Federal Advocacy Toolkit for Parents and Caregivers includes practical resources and tips to support your safety and well-being every step of the way.
Imagine: Your kid is arrested. They’re scared.
Wouldn’t you want them to have an attorney there to explain their rights?
Wouldn’t you want them to have an attorney there to explain their rights?
December 11, 2025 at 11:44 PM
Imagine: Your kid is arrested. They’re scared.
Wouldn’t you want them to have an attorney there to explain their rights?
Wouldn’t you want them to have an attorney there to explain their rights?
In Illinois, NCYL created updated Know Your Rights tools so young people most impacted in the child welfare system, along with their families and communities, have the information they deserve. Knowledge is Power.
December 11, 2025 at 4:45 PM
In Illinois, NCYL created updated Know Your Rights tools so young people most impacted in the child welfare system, along with their families and communities, have the information they deserve. Knowledge is Power.