The Trump administration has issued a directive to legal service providers working with unaccompanied migrant children to cease their operations, as revealed in a recently obtained memo. This decision marks the latest in a series of actions that have been depriving immigrants in the United States of crucial resources, this time specifically targeting children and teenagers who have crossed the southern border without their parents.
The Department of Interior transmitted the order, dated Tuesday, to the Acacia Center for Justice, a nonprofit organization that aids nearly 26,000 children currently in or released from the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The resettlement office, overseen by the Health and Human Services Department, is responsible for the welfare of unaccompanied migrant children.
Shaina Aber, the executive director of the Acacia Center for Justice, expressed concern over the suspension of the program, stating that it undermines due process, disproportionately affects vulnerable children, and places those who have already endured significant trauma at risk of further harm or exploitation.
Similarly, the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project, which offers 'Know Your Rights' sessions for children in government custody along with other legal services, criticized the decision. Roxana Avila-Cimpeanu, the deputy director of the Florence Project, highlighted that without their services, children may be compelled to represent themselves in immigration court, which she described as an unprecedented attack on immigrant children.
While children who are already represented are unlikely to be impacted by the stop work order, the sudden termination of funding could compel organizations to downsize or shut down entirely. This move echoes a previous directive issued by the Justice Department shortly after President Donald Trump took office, which instructed legal service providers to cease their efforts to aid immigrants, thereby depriving individuals in detention of essential support in navigating the complex U.S. immigration system. Notably, that order was later rescinded without any explanation.
