NEW YORK, CMC – Immigration advocates in New York on Friday condemned the Trump administration for cutting funding to a program that provides legal representation to unaccompanied Caribbean and other asylum-seeking children.
The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), an umbrella policy and advocacy organization that represents over 200 immigrant and refugee rights groups throughout New York, said this decision immediately halts funding for legal assistance to tens of thousands of children under the age of 21 years navigating the immigration system without a parent or guardian.
“No child should have to argue for their safety and future without an attorney by their side,” NYIC President and CEO Murad Awawdeh told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC). “The Trump administration’s decision to cut this essential service undermines due process, harms vulnerable children, forces them to relive a cycle of trauma, and potentially puts their lives at risk.
“It is unimaginable to expect a child to stand in court alone, facing a judge, government attorneys, and complicated legal procedures without understanding their rights or how to defend themselves,” he added. “Without legal representation, their chances of securing protection drop dramatically.”
Awawdeh, therefore, urged New York State to “step up where the federal government failed.
“That is why we urgently need the State Senate and State Assembly to pass the Access to Representation Act and the BUILD Act and fully invest US$165 million in legal services funding,” he said. “By doing so, we can ensure that all people, regardless of age, have access to legal representation in immigration court and a fair chance at safety, stability, and freedom.”
ABC News reported on Friday that it obtained a memo issued by the US Interior Department, which handles contracts for the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The memo stated that “organizations that collectively receive over US$200 million in federal grants were told that the contract was partially terminated, ending 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,” the television station said.
According to the memo, “the government reserves the right to terminate this contract, or any part hereof, for its sole convenience.
“In the event of such termination, the Contractor shall immediately stop all work hereunder and shall immediately cause any of its suppliers and subcontractors to cease work,” it added.
ABC News said 26,000 migrant children currently receive legal representation through the funding.
Last month, it said the Trump administration issued a similar memo ordering organizations to stop work on the US $200 million contract immediately but rescinded the order.
Michael Lukens, executive director for the Amica Center, which represents migrant children in the Washington, D.C., area, described the halting of funding as “unlawful.”
“It is fierce to make children go to court alone, and it is a continuing expansion of Trump’s war against immigrants,” he told ABC News. “And it’s sad that we’re now at a point where he has set his sights on children.”
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