A blow to individuals battling deportation without legal assistance, the Trump administration on Tuesday severed funding for attorneys to defend minors who enter the country alone.
According to the Acacia Center for Justice, 26,000 migrant children are served by them under their government contract. The organization was informed by the Interior Department that the stop-work order was issued due to “causes outside of your control” and should not be seen as a reflection of poor performance, but no reason was provided for the decision. The stop will be in place until anything else is said.
Health and Human Services and the Department of the Interior, which are responsible for migrant children who are unaccompanied, did not return requests for comment made late Tuesday.
The legal assistance program is allegedly managed by Acacia via a statewide network of 85 groups that advocate for minors under the age of 18.
This comes after the Justice Department momentarily cut funding to other organizations that help those facing deportation get the legal advice and information they need. After advocacy organizations sued, it reinstated money.
The government will not offer deportees legal representation, although they are free to retain one if they so want. The decision to cease work on the $200 million contract would have the greatest impact on the most vulnerable populations, according to groups that rely on federal money to represent children.
Christine Lin, director of training and technical support at the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, has stated that it is “absurd and deeply unjust” to expect a kid to defend themselves in immigration court.