Trump administration halts legal aid for migrant children, raising concerns

By Seda Sevencan

ISTANBUL (AA) – The Trump administration has ordered legal service providers assisting unaccompanied migrant children to cease operations, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from advocacy groups.

A memo obtained by CNN revealed that the Interior Department issued the directive Tuesday to the Acacia Center for Justice, a nonprofit that provides legal assistance to nearly 26,000 migrant children in and released from the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) custody.

Shaina Aber, executive director of the Acacia Center for Justice, condemned the decision, warning of its harmful consequences for vulnerable children.

“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,” Aber said in a statement.

Roxana Avila-Cimpeanu, deputy director of the Florence Project, which provides free legal services, social services, and advocacy to immigrants facing detention and potential deportation., echoed similar concerns, emphasizing the challenges unaccompanied children will face in immigration court without legal representation.

“Without the services the Florence Project provides through the Unaccompanied Children Program, children, no matter their age, will be forced to represent themselves in immigration court alone. This is an unprecedented attack on immigrant children,” she said.

US President Donald Trump was elected for a return term to the White House last November on an aggressive anti-immigrant platform.