More than 24,000 unaccompanied migrant children across the United States could lose access to federally funded legal representation after a $200 million government contract expired Friday without a replacement, raising concerns that many minors will have to face immigration judges alone while navigating deportation proceedings.
The contract, administered by the Acacia Center for Justice through agreements with roughly 90 legal service providers nationwide, supports attorneys representing children who entered the U.S. without a parent or legal guardian. More than 1,400 of those children are in New York state, including over 700 in New York City, according to advocates.
