The Trump administration's recent actions have resulted in nearly 26,000 undocumented, unaccompanied immigrant children facing potential legal representation deficiencies in their immigration hearings. The Department of the Interior's stop-work order on a significant contract intended for this legal assistance has sparked outrage from immigration attorneys who stress the added vulnerability of these children. Many are very young, some mere toddlers, who will face immigration judges without adequate support, making them even more susceptible to unjust deportations. These changes have led to a major crisis in the provision of legal services for vulnerable immigrant children.
This is brazen cruelty against the most vulnerable. Children as young as toddlers, teenagers fleeing violence. We're not talking about a select few that do this work; we're talking about a complete collapse of legal services to unaccompanied children.
Imagine small kids, some so little their feet don't touch the floor while looking up at a judge trying to understand immigration law.
I felt like I was already criminalized even though I was just a kid. The government didn't realize I was fleeing because I was being persecuted by a gang, and it wasn't until I met with a lawyer that I was able to share this part of my story.
#immigration #undocumented-children #legal-representation #trump-administration #vulnerable-populations
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