Contact: Erin Barnaby, media@amicacenter.org
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
In a media briefing today, immigration experts explained the severe implications for children affected by the Trump administration’s decision to terminate the Unaccompanied Children’s Program. This change immediately halts funding for legal representation for more than 26,000 children who are navigating the immigration system without a parent or guardian.
Experts shared that the most effective way to protect children who arrive without a parent or guardian is by providing them with legal advocates. These attorneys are essential for helping the children navigate the complexities of the shelter and legal systems and safeguard their rights and well-being, protecting them from further harm, abuse, trafficking, or exploitation.
Watch a recording of the media briefing here.
The Honorable Jennie Giambastiani, Immigration Judge (ret.):
“The representation of children in Immigration Court is as much a moral obligation as it is a means of ensuring fair and efficient hearings. There is no downside.”
Dr. C. Nicholas (“Nick”) Cuneo, Medical Director, HEAL Refugee Health and Asylum Collaborative and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine:
“Without a legal advocate representing their interests, unaccompanied children – who often have survived abuse and other forms of maltreatment with lasting effects on their physical and mental health – can get lost in the health system. Health care can be difficult to access (due to the lack of a clearly identifiable legal guardian to consent to treatment in some cases), and discharge from hospitalized settings can be incredibly challenging to coordinate. I have personally witnessed children experiencing harm as a result of not having legal representation (for example, languishing for months confined to a hospital room) as well as the vital role an attorney can play in bringing a child in an unstable situation to safety and stability.”
Marion (“Mickey”) Donovan-Kaloust, Director of Legal Services, Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef):
“In the face of this attack on due process, we must remember that these children are not just statistics—they are human beings with hopes, dreams, and the right to safety and dignity. We will not stop fighting for them because if we do, we are failing not only these children but the very principles that make us who we are as a nation.”
Jesus Guereca, Managing Attorney, Estrella del Paso:
“As attorneys, we are often the first to establish trust with unaccompanied children. Providing legal representation gives us the added opportunity to be an extra set of eyes and ears inside the shelters. It allows us to advocate for the children and ensure they are being properly cared for and that they are granted the rights they are entitled to. Many children arrive traumatized, and it often takes multiple meetings before they are willing and able to share their experience. Without legal representation, many of their stories will never reach an immigration judge. Terminating this funding effectively silences vulnerable children and shields them from legal protection.”
Michael Lukens, Executive Director, Amica Center for Immigrant Rights:
“The termination of this funding represents the most significant attack on immigrant children since family separation. This decision means that children will lose trusted advisors when navigating a complex immigration system. Moreover, it threatens to dismantle the non-profit organizations that provide essential support to these vulnerable kids. Attorneys are crucial in this process; they advocate for individual children and hold shelters accountable through independent oversight. Without this support, these children face an even more daunting challenge in an already extraordinarily difficult situation.”