The administration announced the expiration of a $356 million annual contract, leaving 20,000 unaccompanied migrant children without federally funded legal representation.
The administration announced the expiration of a $356 million annual contract on July 31, which will leave approximately 20,000 unaccompanied migrant children across the United States without federally funded legal representation. This funding cliff follows a period of uncertainty where the administration attempted to cancel the contract, but was forced to reinstate it by a federal judge. Currently, the Department of Health and Human Services is seeking additional documentation from the Acacia Center for Justice, the nonprofit that manages the contract, before releasing stalled payments. Simultaneously, the administration is accelerating the immigration court system to expedite the removal of illegal immigrants. Immigration Judge Lisa Ling is leading this push in New York, where she has begun scheduling hearings every two to three weeks rather than months. This faster pace requires children to navigate complex deportation proceedings without the help of lawyers who would typically screen their cases. Advocates warn that this rapid scheduling may result in children being railroaded into voluntary departure, potentially missing out on specific protections they might have secured with professional counsel.