The Trump administration has ordered legal service providers assisting unaccompanied migrant children to stop their work, a move that could leave thousands of vulnerable minors without legal representation.
According to a memo, the directive was sent to the Acacia Center for Justice, a nonprofit that helps around 26,000 migrant children in or recently released from the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) custody. ORR, which operates under the Health and Human Services Department, is responsible for the care of unaccompanied minors who cross the U.S. border.
Advocates have strongly condemned the decision, warning that it will strip children of critical legal support. Shaina Aber, executive director of the Acacia Center for Justice, stated that halting legal aid “undermines due process, disproportionately impacts vulnerable children, and puts those who have already suffered trauma at greater risk.”
The Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project, which provides legal assistance and “Know Your Rights” presentations to children in government custody, also criticized the order. Roxana Avila-Cimpeanu, the organization’s deputy director, warned that children would now have to navigate complex immigration court proceedings alone, calling the decision an “unprecedented attack on immigrant children.”
While the order may not impact children who already have legal representation, the sudden funding cut could force many organizations to reduce services or shut down entirely.
This move follows a similar decision made early in Trump’s presidency when the Justice Department ordered legal service providers to stop assisting detained immigrants. That directive was later reversed without explanation. Now, with this new order, concerns are growing over the future of migrant children seeking asylum in the U.S.