The Trump administration is offering unaccompanied migrant children a $2,500 stipend to voluntarily leave the United States, as confirmed by Department of Homeland Security officials. This financial offer, detailed in a letter sent to migrant shelters, is available to children aged 14 and older, with the program initially targeting 17-year-olds. This initiative, part of a broader effort to encourage voluntary deportations, follows a similar move in June offering $1,000 to self-deporting migrants. Critics, however, are condemning the tactic, citing concerns that this undermines existing laws designed to protect vulnerable children.
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Migrant children in New York shelters are attending virtual immigration hearings without legal representation due to the termination of a federal contract funding legal services for unaccompanied minors. This has led to a significant increase in the number of children appearing in court without attorneys, leaving them vulnerable to deportation. Data shows a stark contrast in deportation rates between represented and unrepresented children, with the latter facing a much higher likelihood of removal. The situation has prompted nonprofits to scramble for alternative funding and advocates to call for state intervention to fill the massive funding gap.
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The Trump administration ended a contract with the Acacia Center for Justice, eliminating legal aid for approximately 26,000 unaccompanied migrant children. This action leaves vulnerable children to navigate the complex immigration court system alone, despite legal protections afforded them under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2008. While the government claims it still meets legal requirements, the termination raises serious concerns about the well-being of these children. The contract’s end, cited as “for the Government’s convenience,” comes just days before its renewal date, prompting fears of a complete system collapse.
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Following a stop-work order issued Tuesday, the Trump administration reversed course Friday, rescinding the order and allowing the Acacia Center for Justice to resume providing legal services to nearly 26,000 unaccompanied migrant children. The initial order halted funding for all activities under the center’s federal contract, jeopardizing legal representation for vulnerable children navigating the immigration system. This reversal ensures the continuation of vital legal aid, preventing a potential “cataclysmic collapse” of nonprofit legal services for immigrant children. The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of the Interior have not yet commented publicly.
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John Q. Hosedrinker