Gizem Nisa Demir
31 July 2026•Update: 31 July 2026
Tens of thousands of unaccompanied immigrant children in the US could soon lose legal representation as a federal contract funding attorneys for vulnerable minors expires Friday, raising concerns that many will have to face immigration court alone, according to a report.
The Washington Post reported Thursday that nonprofit legal organizations representing about 24,000 children said they may be forced to scale back or shut down after the Trump administration stopped reimbursing them last November, leaving an estimated $65 million in unpaid claims.
The groups said the Office of Refugee Resettlement offered to extend the contract only if providers shared confidential information about children and their sponsors, a condition they said they could not legally or ethically accept.
The agency said it remains "fully compliant with its legal and regulatory obligations and does not act in any way that could dissuade a child from seeking appropriate legal relief."
"The best chance that a child has for a fair day in court and due process is to have an attorney at their side," Michael Lukens, executive director of the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, said. "It's very clear the government is trying to take away that one piece of the puzzle."
Federal data show fewer than 2,500 children are currently in government custody, with average stays increasing to 117 days, four times longer than a year ago.
Melissa Lopez, executive director of Estrella del Paso, said her organization expects to reduce its staff from 30 to three while continuing to serve 243 children. "We cannot expect a child to have the level of understanding of these legal differences," Lopez said. "It's absurd."
