On March 21, the Trump administration issued, with immediate effect, a near-total termination of the Unaccompanied Children Program, which provides legal representation to thousands of unaccompanied immigrant children across the country, including infants.
The termination forces unaccompanied children – among the most vulnerable individuals in our immigration system – to navigate and somehow represent themselves in immigration court proceedings. Some children as young as two years old have been deported after being forced to represent themselves. Immigration judges are 24 times more likely to grant relief to unaccompanied children with legal representation than to those without it.
The terminations are part of a broader set of actions targeting children caught up in our immigration system. In just the past two months, the administration has:
- Eliminated access to asylum for people arriving at the border – with no explicit exception for unaccompanied children.
- Ended guidance preventing ICE enforcement actions in schools, hospitals, and churches and otherwise expanded detention and deportation efforts that target and separate children from their parents – making them less safe.
- Required agencies responsible for child safety to share sensitive information about people who come forward to sponsor unaccompanied children with ICE for enforcement purposes.
- Ordered immigration agents to target, track down, and deport unaccompanied children in enforcement efforts – and set the stage for placing children currently in Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) custody in fast-tracked deportation proceedings.
Many unaccompanied children have asylum claims or are seeking another form of protection from deportation back to the dangerous situations they fled, such as abuse, abandonment, neglect, or human trafficking. The lives of these children matter – and we stand at a pivotal moment to make a difference.
Contact your Members of Congress TODAY and tell them to call for the Trump administration to rescind the termination of the Unaccompanied Children Program – and to keep children safe by supporting essential services and pushing back against rapid deportation efforts.
1. EMAIL YOUR 2 SENATORS AND 1 REPRESENTATIVE TODAY
On the right-hand side, click “Send Email” to contact your 2 Senators and 1 Representative. Be sure to insert personalized information in the sample email provided.
Sample Email to Congress:
My name is [insert your name] and as a constituent of [Representative/Senator] from [City/Town] and [a faith leader/refugee leader/community member], I urge you and your office to protect unaccompanied migrant children (UCs), support funding and contract renewals for vital UC programs, and push back against efforts to target children in enforcement and rapid deportation actions.
Unaccompanied children — those under 18 years of age who arrive at the United States without a parent or legal guardian — are among the most vulnerable individuals who interact with our immigration system. Many are fleeing violent crime, gang violence and recruitment, and severe economic insecurity in their home countries that have posed deep threats to their safety and well-being. Many unaccompanied children have active asylum claims or can seek another form of protection from deportation back to the dangerous situations they fled, such as abuse, abandonment, neglect, or human trafficking.
On March 21, the Trump administration terminated legal services under the Unaccompanied Children Program, cutting off representation to tens of thousands of unaccompanied children (including infants and toddlers). The move is just part of a broader set of actions that are making children in our communities far less safe and far more vulnerable – including the end to longstanding guidance preventing ICE enforcement actions in schools, the targeting of children for rapid deportation proceedings, and the requirement that agencies responsible for child safety must share sensitive information about people who come forward to sponsor unaccompanied children with ICE for enforcement purposes.
We must take a stand for vulnerable children and push back against these actions. I urge you to:
- Ask HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to immediately restore legal services for unaccompanied children and rescind the termination of the Unaccompanied Children Program.
- Keep unaccompanied children safe by funding and supporting essential services for them and their families in ongoing appropriations negotiations – including robust funding for Home Study and Post Release Services in the LHHS Refugee and Entrant Assistance account.
- Speak out against the cruelty of targeting unaccompanied children (including young children and infants) for rapid deportation hearings while simultaneously eliminating their access to legal counsel and support.
Thank you.
2. CALL YOUR 2 SENATORS AND 1 REPRESENTATIVE TODAY
On the right-hand side, click “Call Officials” to contact your 2 Senators and 1 Representative. Be sure to insert personalized information in the sample script provided.
Sample Script:
My name is [insert your name] and as a constituent of [Representative/Senator] from [City/Town] and [a faith leader/refugee leader/community member], I urge you and your office to push back against the Trump administration’s actions targeting unaccompanied children.
Unaccompanied immigrant children are among the most vulnerable individuals who interact with our immigration system. Many are fleeing violent crime, gang violence and recruitment, and severe economic insecurity in their home countries that have posed deep threats to their safety and well-being.
On March 21, the Trump administration terminated legal services under the Unaccompanied Children Program, cutting off representation to tens of thousands of unaccompanied children (including infants). The move is just part of a broader set of actions that are making children in our communities far less safe and far more vulnerable.
We must take a stand for vulnerable children and push back against these actions. I urge you to:
- Ask HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to immediately restore legal services for unaccompanied children and rescind the termination of the Unaccompanied Children Program.
- Keep unaccompanied children safe by funding and supporting essential services for them and their families in ongoing appropriations negotiations – including Home Study and Post Release Services and legal representation through the Unaccompanied Children Program.
- Speak out against the cruelty of targeting unaccompanied children (including young children and infants) for rapid deportation hearings while at the same time eliminating their access to legal counsel and support.
Thank you.
3. AMPLIFY ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Share this message with political leaders on social media! On the right-hand side, click “Find Legislators” to tweet at President Trump and your 2 Senators and 1 Representative.
Amplify this message on social media using the sample social posts below.
Sample Social Media Posts:
[insert legislator social media handle]: Keep unaccompanied immigrant children safe! Push back on the Trump administration’s efforts to deport them. Instead support these kids by funding legal representation, post-release services & other essential services #ProtectUnaccompaniedChildren
The best place for unaccompanied children to recover from trauma & pursue their immigration case is with family in our communities. [insert legislator social media handle] push back on efforts to deport them. Ensure they’re promptly & safely reunited with their families. #ProtectUnaccompaniedChildren
@realDonaldTrump Stop deporting unaccompanied migrant children! These children are fleeing violent crime, gang violence & severe economic insecurity & seeking refuge here. We can protect them by reuniting them with their families in our communities #ProtectUnaccompaniedChildren
@realDonaldTrump It is cruel to deport unaccompanied migrant children back to the dangerous situations they’re fleeing. We can keep them safe here by safely and promptly reuniting them with their families in our communities #ProtectUnaccompaniedChildren
Additional Resources:
- CWS Statement: Termination of Unaccompanied Children Program Strips Vulnerable Kids of Legal Protection and Support
- Best Practices to Protect Unaccompanied Children
- CWS Factsheet: Who Are Unaccompanied Children?
- CWS Home Study and Post-Release Services
- Close to 90% of unaccompanied children have a parent or other close family member already living in the United States – Statement by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas
- From KIND – Legal Representation: A Vital Safeguard to Protect Unaccompanied Children from Labor Exploitation
- From KIND – Policy Brief: Five Recommendations for Protecting Unaccompanied Children from Labor Exploitation
- From the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights – Child Advocate Program
- From Casey Family Programs – What are some strategies that prioritize first placement of children with a family?
Thank you for taking action, and please share this alert with your networks!