The Trump government has stopped a program that made lawyers with almost 26,000 children with a migration background, some too young to read or speak that are under the care of the refugee settlement.
The children – about 4,000 of those living in California – are exposed to deportations, and many have no parents or legal guardians in the country.
On Tuesday, the interior department ordered the Acacia Center for Justice, which coordinates the program financed by the Federal Government, which the lawyer paid for. In its letter, the agency cited contract rules to justify the program break, but did not provide any clear reasons for this.
“The stop work mandate is implemented outside your control due to causes and should not be misunderstood as an indication of poor performance by your company,” the letter says.
The departments for indoor and health and human services that monitored the refugee settlement office did not respond to a request for comments.
Since taking office, the Trump government has tried to weaken parts of the immigration system that supports prisoners. The orders are carried out as the administration Advisory Group, which the billionaire Elon Musk calls the government's efficiency, federal workers released throughout the government and eliminates programs that state that they do not match the goals of the administration.
The move rattled group with immigration rights that represent children, some who are just months old.
“This is a disaster we had hoped for that we could avoid it,” said Michael Lukens, Managing Director of the Amica Center for Immigration Rights in Washington. “Many NGOs have to close. It currently signals a tendency to get rid of financing without human influence. ”
As part of a five-year contract, which will increase for extension next year, ACACIA will receive around $ 200 million of federal funds annually. It works with 99 service providers across the country to offer children legal advisors and offers tens of thousands of further basic information and other legal services.
According to Lukens, Amica is considering many appeals, possibly a lawsuit to stop the lawsuit.
Some of the children who are part of the program have been abused, persecuted or traded.
“This means that children are expected to appear in court without a legal advisor from tomorrow and try to defend themselves in a controversial system before deportation,” said Daniela Hernández Chong Cuy. Her small office in Pasadena represents 63 children aged 2 to 17.
And while she said that her oath ethically obliged her to defend these children, she does not know how the office will survive in its current form if payments do not enter into. About three quarters of their customers fall into the contract.
“The system expects these children to explain their reasons to the court why they fear to go back, to submit legal applications and legal documents, and then translate these documents,” she said. “These are children with literally no adults here in the USA. So you don't have anyone to refer to to say: “Hey, can you help me find a private lawyer?” These are literally children. “
The program comes from two decades and grew as that Number of unaccompanied minors rose On the southern US border and the supporters, the pressure under the Obama government increased, which quickly prompted young people whether they had a advice or not.
“The impact of this step is that thousands of children are illegally deported, and this will certainly include children who intended the Congress for the Immigration Act for Protection” UCLA, which was part of a lawsuit against the Obama government. “It's cruel.”
Children do not have the right to a judicial lawyer, although the United States recognizes the right to a lawyer. According to acacia, Since 2017About 57% of children with pending cases have a legal representation, a number that had dropped from previous years.
“The decision of the administration to suspend this program undermines the proper procedure, has a disproportionate children in need of protection and sets children who have already had severe trauma with further damage or exploitation.
“In view of decades of work and cross -party cooperation, this decision flies with children who have human trafficking or the risk of human trafficking have child -friendly legal representatives who protect their legal rights and interests.”