The lawsuit challenges the most brazen attack on immigrant children since family separation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, Immigrant Defenders Law Center, and Justice Action Center announced the filing of a federal lawsuit against the government for shutting down critical legal representation programs for unaccompanied immigrant children.
The lawsuit, filed against the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and other defendants, challenges the termination of services on Friday, March 21, 2025, for immigrant children who enter the United States without a parent or guardian, often fleeing persecution, trafficking, and physical or sexual abuse in their home countries.
Pursuant to these programs, nonprofit legal service providers across the country meet with unaccompanied children within days of their arrival in the U.S. to provide Know Your Rights presentations and legal screenings. They use puppets and cartoons to help children as young as toddlers understand what it means to be in immigration removal proceedings. They further represent them in immigration court and on applications for affirmative relief and advocate for the children on aspects like their well-being and care.
This termination means that 26,000 children risk losing their attorneys, and tens of thousands of others will not get any legal assistance. These programs have had bipartisan support for over two decades, as Congress has expressly recognized the unique vulnerability of unaccompanied children. Without these programs, immigrant children and babies will lose legal representation, leading to deportations and denials of relief without due process, on top of causing chaos and delays in the immigration system.
The lawsuit aims to restore immediate access to these essential programs cancelled by the government, ensuring that unaccompanied immigrant children receive the legal representation and support that is their right.
Organizational plaintiffs in the suit include Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, Estrella del Paso, Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA), Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project, Galveston-Houston Immigrant Representation Project, Immigrant Defenders Law Center, National Immigrant Justice Center, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network, Social Justice Collaborative, and Vermont Asylum Assistance Project.
Sam Hsieh, Deputy Program Director of the Immigration Impact Lab, Amica Center, said:
“The Trump Administration’s decision to terminate these national legal service programs poses a significant threat to the rights of already vulnerable unaccompanied immigrant children. Many of these children are eligible for immigration relief but are unable to meaningfully seek it without an attorney. This is the most brazen attack on immigrant children since family separation.”
Alvaro M. Huerta, Director of Litigation and Advocacy, Immigrant Defenders Law Center, said:
“The federal government should not be compounding the harm already done to these kids by preventing legal service providers from doing their jobs. What kind of system do we have when our government is more willing to pay an attorney to deport a child than it is to provide the same child with an attorney whose job is to protect their rights? That is fundamentally wrong, and it certainly is not justice.”
Esther Sung, Legal Director, Justice Action Center, said:
“Kids should be treated like kids. The Trump administration’s move to make children – and babies – face an adversarial immigration system alone is amoral and illegal. We are proud to represent the attorneys and organizations who are often these children’s only voice in a system that too often fails to take their needs into account.”
Katrina Logan, Executive Director, Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA), said:
“As a legal services provider, and like many providers across the country, CLSEPA has worked hard to fulfill our obligations and adhere to the highest ethical standards in our representation of unaccompanied immigrant youth facing deportation. Federal law mandates that the government provide legal counsel to protect these children from mistreatment, exploitation, and trafficking. We believe the government must restore this program and we will continue to stand for justice and due process for our clients.”
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