IL HB1553

Amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 to allow courts to make findings enabling minors adjudicated as court wards to petition for Special Immigrant Juvenile status under 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)(J), with court jurisdiction continuing until the petition is filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Requires courts to find that: (1) the minor is a court dependent or in state/individual custody; (2) reunification with parents is not viable due to abuse, neglect, abandonment, or similar cause; and (3) returning the minor to their country of origin is not in their best interest.

Adds parallel provisions to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, Illinois Parentage Act of 2015, Adoption Act, and Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986, enabling courts in those proceedings to make Special Immigrant Juvenile findings.

Defines "abandonment" as failure to maintain reasonable interest or responsibility for a child's welfare, including cases where parents are deceased or cannot be reasonably located.

Requires courts to keep immigration status information confidential and restrict access to only the court, child, parties, attorneys, and the child's parent or guardian.