Trump Administration Ends Legal Aid for Thousands of Unaccompanied Migrant Children

The Trump administration has officially ended a major contract that provided legal assistance to unaccompanied migrant children; those under 18 who arrive at the U.S. border without a parent or guardian.

The Acacia Center for Justice, a government-contracted organization, was responsible for helping these children understand their legal rights and providing direct legal representation in immigration court. That support is now being pulled.

The Department of Health and Human Services notified Acacia that nearly all funding for its legal work with migrant children is being terminated, impacting roughly 26,000 minors. While Acacia can still conduct limited “know your rights” orientation sessions, they’ll no longer be paid to represent these children in court.

Immigration court doesn’t guarantee legal representation like criminal court does, so losing access to attorneys leaves these children—many of whom don’t speak English or understand the U.S. legal system, extremely vulnerable.

This contract was part of a five-year agreement but required annual renewal. The decision to end it comes just days before the March 29 renewal date. A previous pause in funding was reversed last month, but this time, the cut appears final, with the government citing termination “for the Government’s convenience.”

Providers like Amica, who work under Acacia in cities like Washington, D.C., are preparing for the worst. They say they’ll continue helping kids as long as resources allow, but the outlook is grim.

“This is a complete collapse of the system,” said Amica’s executive director, warning that children could soon be forced to face immigration court alone in cities across the country.

Advocates say this move threatens the protections laid out in the 2008 Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which was designed to safeguard children crossing the border alone. Whether this decision stands or sparks legal challenges remains to be seen, but for now, thousands of vulnerable children are left without the support they need most.