A federal judge has ordered the US government to temporarily resume funding legal aid for unaccompanied migrant children, stating it enhances fairness in the immigration system.
US District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin of San Francisco issued the order Tuesday, preventing thousands of children traveling alone from losing their legal representation. The ruling follows the Trump administration’s March 21 cancellation of a contract with the Acacia Center for Justice, a nonprofit that facilitates legal representation for these minors.
Acacia criticized the termination, arguing that legal assistance for vulnerable children is “more crucial than ever” as deportations increase under the new administration.
“The administration’s decision to end these services undermines due process, disproportionately impacts vulnerable children, and puts children who have already experienced severe trauma at risk for further irreparable harm or exploitation,” said Shaina Aber, Acacia’s executive director, in a press release.
Subcontractors working under Acacia filed a lawsuit claiming that a 2008 anti-trafficking law requires the government to provide legal counsel for these vulnerable children, many of whom are too young to speak or don’t understand English.
Judge Martinez-Olguin concurred that the advocates raised legitimate concerns regarding compliance with the 2008 legislation and ruled that funding should continue while the case proceeds.
“The Court additionally finds that the continued funding of legal representation for unaccompanied children promotes efficiency and fairness within the immigration system,” she wrote.
The order takes effect Wednesday and remains in place through April 16.
This marks the third legal setback within a week for the Trump administration’s immigration policies, though all may prove temporary as the lawsuits progress.
On Friday, a federal judge in Boston ruled that individuals with final deportation orders must have a “meaningful opportunity” to contest being sent to countries other than their own.
On Monday, another federal judge in San Francisco temporarily halted plans to end protections for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans, including 350,000 whose legal status was set to expire on April 7.
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