Trump Administration Halts Legal Aid for Unaccompanied Migrant Children

The suspension of a federal contract leaves thousands of children navigating U.S. immigration courts without legal representation.

The Trump administration issued a stop-work order on a $200 million federal contract supporting legal aid for unaccompanied migrant children.
The Acacia Center for Justice, which oversees the program, provided representation and legal guidance to approximately 26,000 children annually through a network of 85 organizations.
Without legal representation, children as young as two years old face deportation proceedings alone, raising concerns about due process and vulnerability to exploitation and trafficking.
The Department of the Interior cited unspecified 'causes outside of your control' for the suspension but did not elaborate further, and the Department of Health and Human Services has not commented.
Advocates and legal experts warn the decision undermines protections for vulnerable children and could lead to inefficiencies in the immigration court system.