The Trump administration has stopped funding for organizations that provide legal services and advice to children who cross the border without their parents and are facing detention or deportation.
In a memo, obtained Wednesday by The Hill, the Interior Department informed the Acacia Center for Justice, a Washington, D.C., group that works with other groups through its Unaccompanied Children Program, to immediately "stop all work" associated with the program.
The letter also directed Acacia to "cease all services and the ordering of supplies" and to immediately inform subcontractors of the stop-work order, according to The Hill.
The Interior Department did not cite a specific reason for the order but said it was "being implemented due to causes outside of your control and should not be misconstrued as an indication of poor performance by your firm."
The order comes as President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency is terminating federal contracts in its effort to streamline the government by eliminating waste and fraud.
The Acacia Center for Justice represents 26,000 children in custody and released from custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, Executive Director Shaina Aber said in a news release.
"This decision flies in the face of ensuring children who have been trafficked or are at risk of trafficking have child-friendly legal representatives protecting their legal rights and interests," Aber said. "Children with counsel are empowered with the information and assistance that ensures they not only are protected from dangerous circumstances in their community but attend their immigration proceedings and remain engaged with the court process.
"In fact, 94% of children with counsel attend their immigration court hearings.
"The administration's decision to suspend this program undermines due process, disproportionately impacts vulnerable children, and puts children who have already experienced severe trauma at risk for further harm or exploitation.
"We stand ready to work with the Department of Health and Human Services to review and rapidly restore these essential services so that Acacia and our partners can continue supporting vulnerable children."
Under U.S. law, the Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for housing unaccompanied migrant children who enter the U.S. illegally, until they turn 18 or can be placed with a sponsor, typically a relative in the U.S., CBS News reported.
The government has long funded efforts by nonprofits to provide such children legal counsel — both in custody and after they are released from government care — while immigration judges decide whether they can remain in the U.S.
Last week, the Office of Refugee Resettlement significantly tightened the vetting process for those seeking to sponsor minors out of its custody. Under the policy change, all adults in households applying to sponsor migrant children will need to submit fingerprints for background checks, not just the prospective sponsors themselves.
A 2024 report from the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General found that more than 300,000 migrant children under the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement were lost during the Biden administration.
More than 291,000 children weren't issued proper notices to appear, and 32,000 more missed their court dates, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement unaware of their whereabouts, according to the report.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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