Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Latin Times
Latin Times
Politics
Taylor Odisho

Trump Justice Department Orders Immigration Rights Groups to Stop Helping Detained People Immediately

The DOJ issued a stop work order to immigration advocacy groups last week. (Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ) ordered immigration rights groups to stop assisting detained undocumented citizens immediately.

Last week, the DOJ issued a stop-work order to organizations that receive federal funding and assist detained migrants. Michael Lukens, executive director of the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, told News4 this will further complicate the process for undocumented citizens.

"I think what a lot of Americans don't realize is it's not like on the criminal legal system where you get a free attorney. If you are an immigrant in detention, facing deportation, if you can't afford an attorney, you're going alone, and you may not speak the language. You probably don't know the intricacies of U.S. immigration law," Michael Lukens, executive director of the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, told News4.

Lukens shared that employees at the Amica Center would have continued working without pay to fulfill their mission, but the DOJ didn't allow them to return to the center or inform patrons of what was happening.

"This is going to just destroy due process in the system," Lukens warned.

The Amica Center along with several other advocacy groups are planning to file a federal lawsuit against the stop-work order in the coming weeks.

© 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.