College of Law will hold a symposium entitled Cross-Border Migration of Unaccompanied Minors: Prospects for Legislative and Policy Reform from 8:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday on Altgeld Hall’s second floor.

The symposium will examine legal issues surrounding the migration of unaccompanied minors across national borders and the possibility of policy change.

Associate law professor Marc Falkoff said the symposium is being held in response to problems observed last summer with the way the legal system handles unaccompanied minors entering the United States.

“There was a crisis last year during the warm weather: There were lots of unaccompanied minors coming into the United States, overwhelming the legal system … and the system did not respond well,” Falkoff said.

The symposium will try to pinpoint the causes driving such widespread immigration by minors; it will also discuss how to prevent such crises in the future, and how the system can respond better if they do occur.

Speakers will include judges and attorneys involved in immigration law, such as Alexandra Fung from the National Immigrant Justice Center, and Senator Toi Hutchinson. Also speaking will be representatives from immigrant advocacy groups, including Joshua Hoyt, executive director of the National Partnership for New Americans, and NIU College of Law faculty.

The event is free and open to the public. Space is limited and registration is required. Contact the College of Law at 815-753-1000 to register.