Unaccompanied Minors Lose Lawyers as Deportation Cases Surge

No lawyers, no protection — and a $65 million unpaid bill

The federal government owes the Acacia Center for Justice roughly $65 million for legal services already provided to unaccompanied minors. The Trump administration stopped paying that contract in December 2025. The contract expired on Friday, July 25, 2026 — and the administration let it lapse. As a result, legal nonprofits that worked under Acacia have had to lay off or furlough the attorneys who represented these children. Kids in Need of Defense, one of the largest nonprofits in the program, announced last month that it will no longer participate after accumulating $20 million in unpaid fees.

Immigration judges have issued roughly 10,000 removal and voluntary departure orders every month against unaccompanied minors since President Trump returned to office — about four times the monthly rate from his first term, according to ProPublica. At the same time, the administration has directed immigration judges to fast-track deportation cases for minors and has blocked their access to attorneys who could help them apply for legal relief, including protections for trafficking victims and witnesses in domestic violence cases.

Ten current and former prosecutors sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security warning that deporting survivors who have come forward for protection sends a direct message to immigrant communities: don't call the police, don't report crime. California Assembly Member Maggy Krell, a former prosecutor who spent two decades working human-trafficking cases, signed the letter. "These crimes are vastly underreported, and now the government is setting up an additional barrier to threaten people with deportation if they have the courage to come forward," Krell said. She added that removing these protections doesn't just harm the child — it can collapse entire criminal prosecutions against traffickers and abusers. A federal court hearing on unpaid legal fees is scheduled for August 6, 2026.

What federal law says — and what's being bypassed

Several federal laws have protected unaccompanied immigrant children from removal for decades. These laws allow minors to apply for relief if they are trafficking victims, witnesses to crimes, or survivors of abuse. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says it remains "fully compliant" with its legal obligations and that it offered Acacia a second bridge contract — which Acacia declined, citing requirements to hand over confidential client data. Legal service providers say sharing that data would violate attorney-client privilege. Multiple lawsuits are pending in federal court to force the government to pay for services already rendered.

What to do

• If you are an unaccompanied minor or know one in removal proceedings, contact a local immigration legal aid organization immediately — even if the federally funded program is no longer available, some nonprofits still offer free or low-cost help independently.
• If a child has been a victim of trafficking or domestic violence, an immigration lawyer may be able to apply for a T visa (for trafficking victims) or U visa (for crime victims) — these are separate from asylum and can provide protection from deportation.
• If a removal order has already been issued, lawyers recommend filing a motion to reopen the case, especially if the child had no legal representation. The August 6 court hearing may affect how these cases proceed.
• Document everything: dates of court notices, any contact with ICE or ORR, and any applications already filed. This record matters if a case goes back to court.

A full breakdown of this topic — in our guide “Bond Hearing: How to Get Released”.