Family separation doesn’t just happen at the US-Mexico border: it regularly occurs within New York City’s five boroughs. As a public defender, David witnessed invasive searches of families’ homes, strip searches of children, harmful and unnecessary removals in the middle of the night, rampant delays in removal hearings, and many more injustices. 

Inspired by his work with the Bronx Defenders. David launched the Family Justice Law Center (FJLC) to defend the rights of underrepresented New Yorkers. FJLC litigates for families unfairly separated and those caught up in the tangled web of the Administration for Children’s Services (known as ACS). David’s organization – backed by his community advisory board – not only works to change the devastating systems that hurt families, but also sheds light on entrenched injustices. In 2024, the Family Justice Law Center brought two landmark cases against ACS. 

Unnecessary family separation and surveillance is one of the most important – yet underfunded, underreported and misunderstood – civil rights issues of our time.

Child welfare issues disproportionately impact poor communities of color, and families below the poverty line are 22 times more likely to be swept into the child welfare system than families with even slightly higher incomes. By holding government officials accountable, David hopes to make these inequities a thing of the past.