Migrant Children Face Immigration Court Without Lawyers Amid US Legal Services Dispute

Migrant children in the United States are facing immigration proceedings without consistent access to lawyers as the federal government restructures a legal-services program for unaccompanied minors.

The issue has drawn concern from immigration advocates following the expiration of a federal contract with the Acacia Center for Justice on July 31. The contract supported a nationwide network of legal organizations representing more than 20,000 unaccompanied children.

Roxana Avila-Cimpeanu, deputy director of an organization that provides legal assistance to unaccompanied minors, told AFP about a case she witnessed in August involving a 17-year-old mother and her one-year-old child in an immigration court in Louisiana. She said the teenager was expected to navigate the asylum process for herself while also dealing with her child’s case.

Advocates say children, particularly those who speak limited English or are very young, require specialized legal assistance to understand immigration proceedings. Avila-Cimpeanu described the situation as part of a broader challenge facing unaccompanied minors as legal-service providers undergo a major transition.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which oversees services for unaccompanied migrant children, has maintained that it is meeting its legal and regulatory obligations. In August, ORR provided funding to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) to provide legal services, including representation at immigration hearings, legal consultations and legal orientation.

The transition followed the expiration of Acacia’s contract and a broader federal procurement process for replacement services. A federal procurement document says ORR sought bridge contracts to maintain continuity of legal services and identified Acacia, ICF and Our Rescue as organizations with relevant capabilities.

The change has also triggered legal and congressional scrutiny. A federal court in August ordered the government to release funds that had been withheld from legal-service providers and said payment could not be conditioned on obtaining additional information from Acacia.

Bilal Askaryar, a spokesman for Acacia, told AFP that USCRI has a much smaller legal team than the network previously coordinated by Acacia. He said the issue affects thousands of children who entered the United States seeking safety.

The debate comes as the Trump administration continues to prioritize immigration enforcement and deportations. Advocates argue that access to qualified legal representation is particularly important for unaccompanied children because immigration proceedings can determine whether they are eligible for protections such as asylum or other forms of relief.

The federal government, meanwhile, says it is continuing efforts to ensure legal services remain available while it completes the transition to new providers. The Government Accountability Office in September rejected an Acacia protest challenging the terms of ORR’s new solicitation for legal services, allowing the procurement process to continue.