US EditionAlone in court: The U.S. government’s crackdown on unaccompanied migrant kids
- In 2025, a large number of immigrant children traveling without parents in Texas and across the country encountered immigration courts without legal representation due to funding cuts and changes in policy.
- The situation developed after the federal government terminated a $200 million legal aid agreement in March 2025, coupled with lawmakers advancing policies that limit minors’ access to legal representation and reduce their legal protections.
- Court battles ensued with judges issuing injunctions to restore funding temporarily, but officials often failed to comply, while children endured longer shelter stays and increasing arrests near courts.
- A 2025 study conducted by the University of Chicago revealed that just over half of unaccompanied minors had access to legal counsel, and those with representation were more than seven times likelier to secure the right to stay in the U.S.
- Advocates warn that cutting legal aid endangers children by increasing risks of deportation, trafficking, and trauma, calling on Texans and leaders to oppose these policies and protect minors' rights.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Guatemala seeks to repatriate 341 migrant minors who traveled alone to the United States and are being held in detention centres.
Alone in court: The U.S. government’s crackdown on unaccompanied migrant kids
By Nicol León & Gibran Caroline Boyce | Edited by Dianne Solis & Alfredo CorchadoImmigrant children who crossed the border without a parent or guardian are increasingly in the crosshairs of the Trump administration. That has meant children facing immigration judges without lawyers, and stricter screening processes for releases from shelter custody that have prolonged stays to more than five months.
How Republicans Are Willfully Endangering Immigrant Kids
Trudy Taylor Smith is senior administrator of policy and advocacy with Children’s Defense Fund-Texas. I want you to imagine a toddler appearing in court to face off against a government-trained attorney trying to deport them. Think of their terror as they take their seat in the courtroom, legs swinging because they’re not long enough to reach the floor. Consider the plight of a teenage survivor of sexual violence, unable to speak English, or too…
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