Trump administration halts funding for legal aid for migrant children
Source: ABC News
March 21, 2025, 2:53 PM
The Trump administration has cut funding to the program that provides legal representation to tens of thousands of unaccompanied migrant children, according to a memo issued Friday by the Interior Department, which handles contracts for the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
According to the memo obtained by ABC News, organizations that collectively receive over $200 million in federal grants were told on Friday that the contract was partially terminated, ending the funding for legal representation and for the recruitment of attorneys to represent migrant children.
The only funding that remains from the contract is for "Know Your Rights" informational presentations that are given to unaccompanied migrant children in detention centers.
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"The government reserves the right to terminate this contract, or any part hereof, for its sole convenience," the memo says. "In the event of such termination, the Contractor shall immediately stop all work hereunder and shall immediately cause any and all of its suppliers and subcontractors to cease work." Currently, 26,000 migrant children receive legal representation through the funding.
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-administration-halts-funding-legal-aid-migrant-children/story?id=120033078