New York City – CWS today expressed alarm over the administration’s near-total termination of work on its Unaccompanied Children Program, halting legal services for unaccompanied immigrant children. The organization notes that this executive action immediately strips thousands of children–including infants and young children–from legal representation, forcing them to now navigate and somehow represent themselves in immigration court proceedings.
“No child should be forced to represent themselves in court–especially young children who have been subject to violence, abuse and exploitation. This termination is an affront to our nation’s longstanding commitment to justice and equality, denying vulnerable children in U.S. custody with a basic right enshrined in the U.S. Constitution,” said Meredith Fortin, CWS Director of Asylum and Legal Services.
CWS is one of nearly 100 legal service providers that serve unaccompanied children through the federally funded and Congressionally-mandated Unaccompanied Children Program administered by Acacia Center for Justice. This program termination will deny tens of thousands of vulnerable children legal support and representation.
Children who arrive in the U.S. without their parents or legal guardians have often survived violence, abuse, abandonment, persecution or trafficking. Legal services are critical to preventing further exploitation and abuse of these children, and ensuring they receive adequate protection to navigate the immigration court system. Legal services also improve children’s understanding of the options available to them, including the possibility of returning to their home country if they determine that is their best option. The program also improves outcomes and reduces enforcement costs for the federal government. 94% of children represented by legal counsel appear for their immigration court proceedings.
We urge Congress to take steps to reinstate these vital programs to ensure that every immigrant child detained by the federal government receives the legal support they need, ultimately protecting them from exploitation and ensuring a fair legal process.
For more information or to speak with Fortin contact media@cwsglobal.org
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