The Trump administration has issued a stop-work order for federally funded organizations providing legal representation to unaccompanied migrant children, cutting off funding for services. The nonprofit Acacia Center for Justice, which works with a network of organizations to provide legal assistance to immigrant children, has been affected by the order. The move could result in fewer children having access to legal representation in the absence of federal funding. Under U.S. law, immigrants are not guaranteed free legal representation, but nonprofit groups have used federal funds to provide lawyers for children navigating the immigration system alone. Despite the stop-work order, unaccompanied children can still receive legal representation in removal proceedings. The reasons for the recent stop-work order are unclear, and the Department of Health and Human Services, which provides the funding, has not provided additional details. The Justice Department previously issued a similar order in January, which was lifted after a temporary restraining order was issued in response to a lawsuit against the Trump administration. The Acacia Center and its partners are calling for the essential services to be rapidly restored to continue supporting vulnerable children. The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, a subcontractor of Acacia, stated that stopping the funding will affect thousands of vulnerable children and families across the nation, including those served in Michigan.
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