At a moment in US history when the detention of immigrants has hit an all-time high, with Congress recently increasing funding for even more detentions and the White House applauding the opening of “Alligator Alcatraz,” a recent judicial decision has made the situation even worse.
On July 6th, 2025, the federal district court in DC issued a decision allowing the government to cut funding for legal orientation programs – critical programs providing the most basic education and due process for immigrants facing removal proceedings without an attorney, including those detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Not only is the government ramping up abductions by masked ICE agents and immigration detention; it is now free to end these programs that were a modicum of due process and that had been provided for decades.
The decision to terminate funding arrives in the face of Congress approving the largest immigration enforcement investment in our country’s history. In the “Big Beautiful Bill” that passed last week, more than $150 billion is being allocated to expand America’s immigration enforcement empire.
“This decision dismantles the minimum safeguards of due process for immigrants facing removal from the US, erases the basic semblance of fundamental fairness within our immigration system, and leaves individuals without the support they desperately need. Without access to basic legal information, tens of thousands will be forced to navigate our complex immigration system without knowing their rights, potential legal options, and legal representation,” said Ana Dionne-Lanier, Managing Attorney for Amica Center’s Legal Orientation Program.
Amica Center is deeply disappointed in the decision, but we will continue fighting for the rights, safety, and unity of immigrant communities, and stand with those who are trapped in our nation’s unjust immigration system.