A federal judge in California on Tuesday ordered the Trump administration to temporarily reinstate legal aid for tens of thousands of unaccompanied migrant children. The ruling comes after the administration terminated a contract with the Acacia Center for Justice on March 21. Eleven subcontractor legal aid groups sued, arguing the move endangered access to counsel for 26,000 minors.
U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín issued a temporary restraining order through April 16, citing concerns that the termination may violate the 2008 Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. The law requires the government to ensure, “to the greatest extent practicable,” that unaccompanied children receive legal counsel in immigration proceedings.
“The continued funding of legal representation for unaccompanied children promotes efficiency and fairness,” Martínez-Olguín wrote.
This is the third recent legal setback for the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Plaintiffs argue that many affected children are too young, traumatized, or unable to understand English, and need legal assistance to avoid mistreatment or trafficking.
Government attorneys argued that funding direct representation isn’t mandatory and that clinics can still provide pro bono services.
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