Thousands of migrant children facing deportation may soon have no one in their corner to fight for

Thousands of migrant children facing deportation may soon have no one in their corner to fight for them. 🚨 The Associated Press reports that the Trump administration is scrambling to find legal representation for unaccompanied migrant children after letting contracts expire with nearly 100 established providers through the Acacia Center for Justice. The administration first offered a $150 million contract to Burke Law Group, a Houston firm with fewer than 30 lawyers and only two with immigration experience. Its founder also worked in Trump’s first administration at the EPA and Department of the Interior. Burke ultimately declined the offer. The administration then awarded a separate contract worth up to $244 million to Our Rescue, an anti-trafficking organization formerly known as Operation Underground Railroad, whose founder resigned in 2023 amid allegations of misconduct and abuse. Meanwhile, about 1,800 children are in shelters right now, and roughly 22,000 more living with sponsors are facing deportation proceedings. ⚖️ A temporary bridge contract went to another group, but its lawyers showed up in immigration court unannounced, claiming to represent children they had never met. This caused chaos among judges and attorneys. A federal judge in California has already ordered the government to pay the original providers, calling the administration’s patchwork approach nowhere near good enough. Congress passed a law specifically requiring legal representation for children in deportation proceedings. That’s not optional, and that obligation does not disappear because the Trump administration decided to dismantle the system that was fulfilling it. 🇺🇸 These children have legal rights, and the courts are watching. I’m Brian Manning. If you need help with an asylum case, send me the word “CONSULT” in a direct message. 👇