Today, unaccompanied children are being detained and deported at three times the rate as they were under the first Trump administration. Those without attorneys face an extremely high risk of deportation compared to those with legal representation. Children as young as 2-years-old, many of whom do not speak English, have been forced to represent themselves in immigration hearings across the country. The Trump administration has also sought to halt legal representation for unaccompanied children and attempted to overrule regulations that prevent the indefinite detention of children at the border and uphold human rights for unaccompanied children in government custody.
Meanwhile, federal agents have shown up unannounced at legal service providers who assist unaccompanied children, intimidating the community while withholding support.
You can make a difference. With so much at stake for unaccompanied children, now is a vital time to urge your lawmakers to protect them and their rights. The Fair Day in Court for Kids Act, led by Representative Zoe Lofgren and Senator Mazie Hirono, would mandate the federal government to ensure that all unaccompanied children have access to legal representation and facilitate the appointment of counsel to children’s immigration cases when necessary.
The Fair Day in Court for Kids Act would protect unaccompanied children in legal proceedings by providing attorneys to all children who cannot hire one on their own means, establishing infrastructure for the appointment of competent counsel, and ensuring that children are provided counsel for the entirety of their immigration case.
Use the tool below to encourage your lawmakers to cosponsor the Fair Day in Court for Kids Act.
Sample Email:
My name is [insert name], and as your constituent from [City/Town] and a [person of faith/refugee/member of community], I urge you to cosponsor the Fair Day in Court for Kids Act to ensure that all unaccompanied children have access to attorneys as they navigate the complicated U.S. immigration system.
Unaccompanied children across the country are facing a crisis of legal representation. Children as young as 2-years-old who do not speak English have been representing themselves in mass immigration hearings. The administration has also sought to halt legal representation for unaccompanied children.
The Fair Day in Court for Kids Act outlines a comprehensive mandate to ensure that every unaccompanied child in the U.S. immigration system has consistent access to legal counsel. It includes a range of responsibilities for counsel and calls for the establishment of the appropriate infrastructure to uphold its programs. The bill, led by Representative Lofgren and Senator Hirono, would:
- Mandate that any unaccompanied child undergoing removal proceedings or any related matters before the Department of Homeland Security or a State court shall have the privilege of being represented by authorized counsel as he or she may choose. The Secretary of Health and Human Services must appoint or provide counsel to an unaccompanied child as quickly as possible after the first date of notice or custody.
- Outlines specific duties of the unaccompanied child’s counsel, including representing the child in all proceedings related to immigration status from the start to the end of their case and appearing in all relevant hearings.
- Calls for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish all necessary infrastructure and systems for the identification, recruitment, training, and oversight of counsel, without charge to the unaccompanied child.
Again, I urge you to cosponsor the Fair Day in Court for Kids Act to protect unaccompanied children in legal proceedings and prevent unnecessary deportation orders across the country. Evidence proves that unaccompanied children with legal representation are 100 times more likely to be granted relief by immigration judges than those without it. Thank you.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Sample Phone Script:
My name is [insert name], and as your constituent from [City/Town] and a [person of faith/refugee/member of community], I urge your office to cosponsor the Fair Day In Court for Kids Act to provide essential legal services and mandated counsel to unaccompanied children in the U.S. immigration system.
Unaccompanied children across the U.S. have faced countless struggles navigating harmful shelter conditions, unjust deportations, and a critical lack of access to legal representation.
The Fair Day in Court for Kids Act would provide mandated counsel for unaccompanied children in immigration proceedings who are not able to secure an attorney on their own. Again, I urge Rep. ___/Sen. ___ to cosponsor the Fair Day in Court for Kids Act to protect unaccompanied children’s right to due process across the country and give every child the legal representation they need to defend their immigration case. Thank you for your work.
Sample Social Media Posts:
@[legislator] Support the Fair Day in Court for Kids Act to make sure no child ever has to go to immigration court alone.
@[legislator] Children must not be forced to represent themselves in court alone. Right now, immigration courts across the U.S. have issued deportation orders to unaccompanied and unrepresented children as young as 2-years-old. I urge you to support the Fair Day in Court for Kids Act to ensure we uphold our commitment to protecting unaccompanied children in the immigration system.
@[legislator] The constitutional right to due process strengthens our democracy. Support the Fair Day in Court for Kids Act to protect unaccompanied children and uphold the basic values of the United States.