The Trump administration is allowing a contract that funds legal representation for tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors to expire, drawing criticism from prosecutors and advocates. Acacia Center for Justice says the federal government owes about $65 million, and nonprofits like Kids in Need of Defense have withdrawn after accumulating roughly $20 million in unpaid fees. A hearing on lawsuits over payment and confidentiality is set for August 6, and reporting shows immigration judges have been issuing about 10,000 removal orders per month for unaccompanied minors since the administration returned to office.
Contract Funding Legal Aid For Unaccompanied Minors Set To Expire As Critics Warn Of Harm To Trafficking Survivors
Unaccompanied minors wait to be transported by US border patrol after crossing the Rio Grande into the US from Mexico, in La Joya, Texas, on 7 April 2021.Photograph: Go Nakamura/Reuters
The Trump administration is allowing a federal contract that pays for legal representation for tens of thousands of unaccompanied immigrant children to expire, prompting sharp criticism from current and former prosecutors, immigrant advocates and legal aid providers.
What’s Happening
The contractor, Acacia Center for Justice, says the federal government stopped making payments in December and currently owes about $65 million. Officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) — whose Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) oversees care for unaccompanied children — had not responded to requests for comment.
Legal Protections, Legal Fight
Federal laws enacted over decades provide special protections for child immigrants, including safeguards that allow them to seek relief from removal and to serve as witnesses in trafficking and domestic-abuse prosecutions. Advocates and prosecutors say the administration has undermined those protections by directing immigration judges to fast-track deportation cases for minors and by limiting their access to attorneys who could help them pursue relief.
By arresting and deporting survivors who have come forward and applied for protection, the Administration not only risks endangering the survivor and their family members, but the Government also sends a chilling message to the larger community: don’t call the police, don’t report crime — you or your loved ones will get deported.
Payments, Lawsuits, And Staffing Impacts
Acacia says the government owes roughly $65 million for legal services. Several legal-service providers have refused administrative demands to surrender confidential client information, citing attorney-client privilege. Federal lawsuits seek to force ORR to pay for legal services already provided; a hearing on those cases is scheduled for August 6, according to reporting by Notus.
The payment dispute has had operational consequences: nonprofits and legal subcontractors have been forced to furlough or lay off lawyers who represented children under the congressionally mandated program. Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), a major subcontractor, announced it will withdraw from the program after accruing about $20 million in unpaid fees.
Enforcement Trends And Concerns
At the same time, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has stepped up removal efforts. Reporting from ProPublica indicates immigration judges have issued roughly 10,000 removal and voluntary-departure orders per month for unaccompanied minors since President Trump returned to office — about four times the monthly rate seen during his previous term.
Former prosecutors and victim advocates warn that reducing access to counsel and accelerating deportations will deter trafficking and abuse survivors from coming forward, undermining public safety and jeopardizing criminal prosecutions.
Voices From The Field
Maggy Krell, a California assembly member and former prosecutor who specialized in trafficking cases, said removing legal support creates a new barrier for survivors and risks derailing prosecutions: 'These crimes are vastly underreported, and now the government is setting up an additional barrier to threaten people with deportation if they have the courage to come forward. It not only jeopardizes that person, it jeopardizes the entire prosecution.'
What’s Next
The dispute over payments and confidentiality remains unresolved as legal providers scale back representation. With the contract set to lapse and a court hearing scheduled for August 6, stakeholders are watching closely to see whether the government will restore funding, reach settlements with providers, or move forward without a replacement plan — decisions that will directly affect thousands of children and ongoing criminal investigations involving trafficking and abuse.
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