The Trump administration has stopped a program that provided lawyers to almost 26,000 immigrant children, some too young to read or talk, who are or were under the custody of the refugee resettlement office.
Children, around 4,000 of which live in California, face deportation, and many do not have parents or legal guardians in the country.
The Department of Interior ordered the Acacia Justice Center on Tuesday, which coordinates the program funded by the Federal Government that paid lawyers, “to stop working.” In his letter, the agency cited hiring rules to justify the program's break, but did not offer clear reasons.
“The work stop order is being implemented due to causes outside its control and should not be misunderstood as a low performance indication for your company,” said the letter.
Interior and Health and Human Services departments, which supervises the refugee resettlement office, did not respond to a comment request.
Since assuming the position, the Trump administration has tried to weaken portions of the immigration system that support the detainees. The orders are produced as an Administration Advisory Group, that the billionaire assistant who Elon Musk call The administration.
The movement shook the immigrant rights group that have been representing children, some who have only months.
“This is a catastrophe that we expected to be able to avoid,” said Michael Lukens, executive director of the Amica Immigrant Rights Center in Washington. “Many NGOs will have to close. At this time he points out a propensity to get rid of financing without thinking about human impact. ”
Acacia receives around $ 200 million in federal funds annually as part of a five -year contract that is renewed next year. He works with 99 service providers throughout the country to offer legal advisors, and provides tens of thousands of children more basic legal information and other legal services.
Lukens said Amica is considering many remedies, possibly including a lawsuit to stop the action.
Some of the children who are part of the program have been abused, persecuted or trafficked.
“This means that children are expected to appear in court, starting tomorrow, on their own, without legal advice, and try to defend deportation in an adversary system,” said Daniela Hernández Chong Cuy. His little Pasadena office represents 63 children aged 2 to 17.
And although she said that her oath forces her to defend these children, she does not know how the office will survive in their current form if payments do not enter. Around three quarters of their customers fall under the contract.
“The system expects these children to explain to the court their reasons why they fear returning, present legal applications and legal documents, then translate these documents,” he said. “These are children with literally adults here in the United States. Then they have no one to refer to, to say: 'Hey, can you help me find a private lawyer?' These are children literally. “
The program dates back to two decades and grew as the number of unaccompanied minors rose on the southern border of the United States and the defenders increased the pressure under the administration of Obama, which pressed quickly to the minors if they had or not advice.
“The effect of this movement is that thousands of children will be illegally deported, and that will surely include children that Congress intended that the immigration law protect,” said Ahilan Arulanaantham, co -director of the Law Center and Immigration Policy in UCLA, who formed Part of a lawsuit against the administration of Obama. “It's cruel.”
Children do not have the right to a lawyer appointed by the Court, although the United States recognizes the right to a lawyer. According to Acacia, since 2017, about 57% of children with pending cases have legal representation, a figure that had decreased from previous years.
“The administration's decision to suspend this program undermines due process, disproportionately impacts vulnerable children and puts children who have already experienced serious trauma at risk of damage or farms,” said Shania Aber, executive director of the center of the center of Justice of Acacia, in a statement.
“This decision flies in the face of decades of work and bipartisan cooperation that is spent guaranteeing children who have been trafficked or who run the risk of traffic have friendly legal representatives for children who protect their legal rights and interests.”
