The Trump administration this month has complicated \u2013 if not cut off \u2013 access to lawyers for tens of thousands of immigrant kids. By law, the government must try to arrange that aid for children who come to the United States alone.<\/p>\n
At the end of July, the government let a legal-services contract for those children lapse, affecting the Acacia Center for Justice and its nearly 100 subcontractors. News this week of an upcoming federal contract with a Texas firm better known for environmental law has left immigrant advocates scrambling for answers as court dates loom.<\/p>\n
As a result, at least one nonprofit has laid off staff. Others count the days until their funding runs out.<\/p>\n
The Trump administration let a contract to provide legal services to tens of thousands of immigrant children lapse. The interruption potentially leaves more children without legal representation in a complex and accelerating immigration court system.<\/p>\n
A federal judge in California last year ordered the Trump administration to keep funding those services. The government did not, and instead cast doubt on the legitimacy of lawyers' work. On Thursday, the same judge ordered the government to pay the money owed by midday Friday and provide a detailed report on how it was complying with the judge's order from last year. As litigation chugs on, the White House has ramped up deportations of unaccompanied immigrant children and made it harder for them to win protections like asylum.<\/p>\n
On Monday, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement that its agency overseeing unaccompanied children agrees that they need legal representation, \u201cand is actively working to resolve this matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
By Thursday, Acacia had proposed a new contract that would help transition cases to new providers and was waiting to hear back.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe adamantly believe that children must continue to be represented by attorneys who specialize in immigration law,\u201d and are trained to handle trauma, says Bettina Rodriguez Schlegel, the chief of staff at Acacia.<\/p>\n
U.S. law says the government must ensure unaccompanied children can access legal aid \u201cto the greatest extent practicable.\u201d Congress has never fully funded that goal, children\u2019s advocates say.<\/p>\n
The end of the Acacia contract on July 31 threw that access further into jeopardy. On Monday, the spokesperson for HHS, whose Office of Refugee Resettlement takes custody of children soon after they arrive alone, said in an email that the agency is \u201cpursuing multiple acquisition options.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last week, a Texas nonprofit \u2013 an Acacia subcontractor \u2013 shut down its unaccompanied children\u2019s program and let 13 employees go. \u201cWe\u2019re still all a little bit in shock,\u201d says Melissa Lopez, executive director of Estrella del Paso.<\/p>\n
Like other groups cut off from funds, Estrella del Paso has patched together philanthropy and reserves in an attempt to stay afloat.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have now completely used up all of our savings,\u201d Ms. Lopez says. Her team won\u2019t accept new cases and will discontinue know-your-rights presentations along with legal screenings.<\/p>\n
As of Monday, the nonprofit reported 243 active cases that lawyers are trying to manage.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are maintaining our responsibilities to them, both ethically and morally,\u201d Ms. Lopez says.<\/p>\n