Tens of thousands of migrant children who came to the United States alone could lose legal representation in immigration court and face increased risk of deportation as the Trump administration allows a federal contract with legal services providers to expire.
Friday marked the last day of a contract under which the federal government pays for legal services for children who enter the US without a parent or guardian. The government contracts those services to a network of nearly 100 legal groups across the country that provide services to roughly 20,000 children.
The Trump administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why it was allowing the contract to expire. It comes as the administration has redoubled its efforts to achieve its policy of mass deportations.
What the Contract Covered
Under the expiring contract, legal groups could enter government-funded shelters and give presentations to children about their legal rights, and directly represent the children as they go through immigration court proceedings.
As the contract ends, the providers say it is unclear what will happen come Monday or whether they will be able to visit their clients in the shelters where they live.
“We have no understanding of what’s going to happen to those children come next week. We don’t know if they’re going to have legal representation. The government as of yet has not identified who will take over this representation,” said Melissa Lopez, the executive director of Estrella El Paso, during a news conference earlier this week.
The Warning
The providers say their ability to enter the shelters, check on their clients, and give presentations to new arrivals serves as an important oversight measure for a vulnerable population. Without a lawyer to assist them in court and help them navigate the complexities of immigration law, children will be much more likely to be deported back to countries they initially fled.
“The government is trying to eliminate our work in this program because they know that without attorneys children will be deported,” said Lopez.
Health and Human Services, which is responsible for caring for unaccompanied migrant children while they are in government care and administers the contract, did not respond to a request for comment.
Legal Groups Already Laying Off Staff
The end of the contract comes as legal service providers say they have not been paid for more than half a year. The organizations say the Trump administration has been withholding payments as it demands detailed information about clients that the providers say they ethically cannot provide.
“They are clearly trying to destroy the program by grinding down the financial health of nonprofits. We’ve seen layoffs and furloughs, and we will see a lot more of that if these invoices aren’t paid,” said Michael Lukens, the executive director of the Amica Center.
Some groups have been trying to secure private funding to continue their work, while others have begun laying off staff and shuttering offices. ProBar in South Texas laid off 20% of its staff this week.
Mid-South Immigration Advocates, a nonprofit law firm based in Memphis, Tennessee, which helps over 400 unaccompanied minors, is owed over $500,000 from the federal government. They have laid off seven employees since 2025 and are closing their physical offices in Nashville and Memphis at the end of September.
In a Texas Immigration Court
Dozens of children and teens filed early Friday morning into the Harlingen courthouse for a hearing before an immigration judge. In the lobby, other children waiting for their hearings played with puzzles and action figures or drew in coloring books. One 8-year-old boy walked into the courtroom holding an Etch-a-Sketch.
Lauren Fisher Flores, an attorney for the American Bar Association’s ProBar project, warned the court of the looming contract expiration. She explained that come Monday, lawyers wouldn’t be able to provide legal information sessions that let children know their rights and would no longer be able to step in and provide “Friend of the Court” services.
“We sincerely hope there will be someone to step in next week,” she said. The judge thanked the attorney and said she was sorry to hear the news.
Special Protections at Risk
Migrant children traveling alone are usually entrusted to US government care, and there are various legal protections that apply to them once they are in the US and navigating the immigration system, including the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008.
The law said the government should facilitate legal representation for children put into deportation proceedings. With some limited exceptions, it requires that children be placed in the “least restrictive setting possible,” which generally means they can be released to a sponsor, such as a relative in the US, while their immigration proceedings play out.
The children can apply for a specially protected status if they cannot return to their home country because of abuse or neglect, and they can also apply for asylum.
The Bottom Line
The Trump administration has allowed a federal contract providing legal aid to unaccompanied migrant children to expire, putting thousands at risk of deportation without representation. Legal service providers say they have not been paid for months and are laying off staff. Without attorneys, children will be much more likely to be deported back to countries they initially fled. The government has not said who will take over representation.
