A federal contract that funded legal assistance for thousands of unaccompanied migrant children has expired, leaving advocacy groups uncertain about whether they will be allowed to continue representing minors in immigration courts and government-funded shelters.
The agreement ended Friday after the Trump administration declined to extend the existing arrangement with the Acacia Center for Justice, which coordinates a nationwide network of nearly 100 legal organizations.
Those groups provided legal education and direct representation to roughly 20,000 children who entered the United States without a parent or legal guardian. As the contract expired, providers said they had not been told who would take over the cases or whether lawyers would continue receiving access to children held in federal shelters.
The dispute comes as President Donald Trump’s administration intensifies its broader deportation campaign. Immigration attorneys and former judges argue that ending the program could make it significantly harder for children to apply for asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status or other protections available to victims of abuse, neglect or human trafficking.
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Federal law provides additional safeguards for children who arrive alone because lawmakers have long considered them particularly vulnerable to exploitation. The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 directs the government to help facilitate legal representation for children placed in removal proceedings, although immigration courts generally do not guarantee them a government-paid lawyer.
The Department of Health and Human Services disputed claims that it was attempting to prevent children from seeking legal relief. The agency said its Office of Refugee Resettlement remained compliant with its legal responsibilities and had attempted to establish a replacement contract.
HHS said it offered Acacia another temporary agreement that would have required the organization to provide information about the people it represented and to submit bills when immigration applications were filed. According to the department, Acacia rejected that proposal. HHS also said previous attempts to award a longer-term contract had been delayed by procurement protests.
Acacia and its subcontractors offered a different account. They said the government has withheld approximately $65 million for work performed since late 2025 and demanded client information that attorneys believe may be confidential or protected by legal ethics rules.
The unpaid bills have already forced some organizations to furlough employees, stop accepting new cases or withdraw from the federally funded program. Kids in Need of Defense ended its participation after reporting more than $20 million in outstanding payments, while another organization warned that the financial dispute threatened its ability to remain open.
The disagreement is therefore about more than whether the contract formally continues. It also involves what information legal organizations must provide to the government, when they should be paid and whether federal officials can redesign the program without disrupting active cases.
A group of current and former prosecutors has warned that accelerated deportations may also discourage victims of trafficking or domestic violence from reporting crimes. They argued that survivors may become less willing to cooperate with law enforcement if they believe contacting authorities could expose them or family members to immigration enforcement.
The administration has defended its tougher approach by arguing that earlier policies failed to properly screen some children and their sponsors, allowing cases of exploitation, unlawful employment and criminal activity to go undetected. Officials say stronger enforcement is intended to discourage dangerous border journeys and prevent children from being released into unsafe situations.
Advocates counter that suspected failures in individual cases do not justify removing legal assistance from thousands of minors, many of whom may have legitimate claims under existing immigration laws.
The timing is particularly significant because deportation activity involving younger migrants has already increased. An analysis of immigration court data found that judges have issued more than 10,000 removal or voluntary departure orders involving minors each month during Trump’s second term—nearly four times the monthly rate during his first administration. The Department of Homeland Security said it could not independently verify that analysis.
For taxpayers, the standoff could create additional costs rather than immediate savings. Unpaid invoices are now the subject of litigation, while interrupted legal representation may lead to delayed hearings, appeals and disputes over whether children received a fair opportunity to present their cases.
The loss of coordinated legal services may also place more pressure on immigration judges. Cases involving asylum, trafficking or parental abuse often require extensive documentation and coordination with state courts. Without attorneys preparing those claims, judges could face children who do not understand the proceedings or the forms of protection available to them.
It remains unclear whether HHS will appoint another contractor, temporarily preserve access for existing lawyers or allow the program to remain suspended. Providers also do not know whether they will be permitted to visit current clients in federal shelters when normal operations resume after the weekend.
Why It Matters
The expiration could leave thousands of children navigating one of the most complicated parts of the American legal system without professional representation.
The decision may affect whether victims of trafficking, abandonment or abuse can successfully present evidence supporting their right to remain in the United States. It also raises questions about government contracting, attorney-client confidentiality and the use of taxpayer money for services that providers say have already been completed.
What Comes Next
Legal organizations are expected to continue seeking payment through federal court while pressing HHS to restore funding or create a replacement program.
Lawmakers and immigration advocates will also watch whether legal providers retain access to shelters and active cases. A court hearing concerning the disputed payments is reportedly scheduled for August 6, potentially providing the next major development in the conflict.
