Particle.news
Download on the App Store
11 ARTICLES
·
3w ago

Judge Temporarily Restores Legal Aid Funding for Unaccompanied Migrant Children

A federal court order reinstates funding for legal representation to 26,000 children after the Trump administration's contract cancellation, with the ruling in effect until April 16, 2025.

Migrant children make their way inside a building at Casa Presidente, an immigrant shelter for unaccompanied minors, in Brownsville, Texas, U.S., June 23, 2018.
Children from Afghanistan wait for some candy from an air worker after migrants gathered between the primary and secondary border fences between Mexico and the United States as they await processing by U.S immigration in San Diego, U.S., September 12, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
Image
Image

Overview

  • U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín issued a temporary restraining order requiring the Trump administration to restore funding for legal aid to unaccompanied immigrant children.
  • The funding supports legal representation for 26,000 migrant children, many of whom are too young to read or speak, ensuring compliance with the 2008 Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA).
  • The Trump administration had canceled a $200 million contract with the Acacia Center for Justice on March 21, arguing that the TVPRA does not mandate government-funded legal representation.
  • Nonprofit organizations, including the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, had begun layoffs following the funding cuts, raising concerns about the immediate impact on vulnerable children in immigration proceedings.
  • The temporary order will remain in effect until April 16, 2025, while the broader legal challenge over the funding cuts is resolved, emphasizing the importance of fairness and efficiency in the immigration system.