NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 31: Children wait outside of an immigration court at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building on July 31, 2026 in New York City. More than 1,400 migrant children across New York, including more than 700 in New York City, are set to lose legal representation as a $200 million federal contract with the Acacia Center for Justice expires. The nonprofit oversees legal services for unaccompanied migrant children and estimates the funding loss will affect more than 24,000 children nationwide. (Credit: Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
On Aug. 18, a girl barely a year old sat before an immigration judge in Arizona with no attorney at her side. The judge's instruction was blunt: submit a completed asylum application ahead of her next scheduled date, or face removal from the country. A lawyer from the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants sat in on the hearing remotely but said nothing, according to a federal court motion made public two days later.
Three Children, Three Courtrooms, Three Weeks
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