The Advocates Condemns the U.S. Government’s Renewed Attempt to Strip Legal Representation from Immigrant Children
 (1) 2.png "white house")
Media Contact:
Madeline Lohman, Advocacy & Outreach Director
612-746-4696 or mlohman@advrights.org
The Advocates for Human Rights
www.TheAdvocatesForHumanRights.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Minneapolis, MN – March 21, 2025 – The Advocates for
Human Rights condemns the federal government’s decision to issue a partial
termination notice to the Acacia Center for Justice, effectively halting legal
services for unaccompanied children in immigration proceedings. This decision
disrupts the work of more than 90 legal service providers nationwide, including
The Advocates for Human Rights, and leaves over 26,000 vulnerable children to
navigate complex legal processes without a lawyer.
The government previously issued a stop-work order on
February 18, 2025, before rescinding it a few days later under public pressure,
including thousands of people contacting their congress members to demand they
take action. As attention has shifted to other anti-immigration actions
undertaken by the Trump Administration, they are trying again to the terminate
this program. On March 21, 2025, the Trump administration issued a near-total
termination of work on its Unaccompanied Children Program, immediately ending
funding for legal representation for children navigating the immigration system
without a parent or guardian.
“Children facing the immigration system deserve our care and protection, not to
have their few supports stripped from them arbitrarily. Forcing a child to
navigate the complexities of the immigration system alone violates our core
values that place the safety of children above other considerations,” said
Michele Garnett McKenzie, Interim Co-Executive Director at The Advocates for
Human Rights. “Legal representation is not a privilege; it is a fundamental
human right. No child should be expected to defend themselves in a system
designed for trained attorneys.”
Many of these children have fled violence, trafficking, and
persecution in search of safety. Without legal counsel, they face overwhelming
and often insurmountable barriers to proving their right to protection. This funding
allowed The Advocates to assist clients who range from 2 to 21 years of age,
who would otherwise be forced to navigate immigration law, present applications
in English, and articulate legal standards for protection without assistance
unless they can pay for private lawyers.
As a result of the stop work order, children will be
unlikely to secure legal counsel, which leaves them vulnerable to exploitation,
including human trafficking by individuals who wield fears of immigration as a tool
for harm. In several of our
cases, a child's trafficking had gone undetected until they connected with an
attorney-- a crucial lifeline that is threatened by the stop-work order.
“This decision flies in the face of our most cherished
principles: due process, a fair day in court, and caring for the most
vulnerable among us,” McKenzie continued. “The federal government must
immediately restore funding for the Unaccompanied Children Program.”
The Advocates for Human Rights calls on policymakers to
uphold the nation’s commitment to justice by reinstating funding for legal
services that protect the rights of unaccompanied children. Anything less is an
abandonment of our legal and moral obligations.
About The Advocates for Human Rights
Founded in 1983, The Advocates for Human Rights is an
independent, nonprofit, nongovernmental human rights organization based in
Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Advocates for Human Rights works in our home
community and with partners around the world to ensure access to immigration
justice, end violence against women, abolish the death penalty, and protect the
rights of LGBTIQ+ people. We believe that everyone has the power to advance
human rights, and that by engaging volunteers in hands-on human rights work, we
can accomplish critical research and advocacy while transforming volunteers
into advocates for human rights. The Advocates' mission is to implement
international human rights standards to promote civil society and reinforce the
rule of law.
###
