“Family Separation by another name”
Experts Respond to Trump Admin Taking Away Legal Support for Separated Families and Children
Watch the press conference here.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 24, 2025
CONTACT: press@acaciajustice.org
WASHINGTON – Last week, the Trump administration put the same families it subjected to its inhumane family separation policy during the first Trump term in its crosshairs once again. The Acacia Center for Justice received a notice from the government stating they plan to discontinue the Legal Access Services for Reunified Families (LASRF) program, which provides legal information and advice to class members and qualifying additional family members of the Ms. L settlement. The same families were subject to the first Trump administration’s cruel family separation policies. Yesterday, April 23rd, the ACLU filed a motion to enforce provisions of a settlement agreement to prevent class members from being further traumatized by the administration’s policies.
Experts, including Michele Brané, the former Ombudsman for Immigration Detention at the Department of Homeland Security and current Executive Director of Together and Free, responded to the move during a press conference, which can be viewed here.
“The termination of the LASRF program is family separation by another name,” said Zain Lakhani, Director of Migrant Rights and Justice at the Women’s Refugee Commission. WRC has documented firsthand the trauma and anguish that family separation caused to parents and children. We have spoken with parents who are not yet reunified with their children, living with the terror and and the grief of not knowing where their children are or they will be reunited. The termination of legal services for families impacted by zero tolerance places thousands of families at risk for renewed separation and further catastrophic harm. The administration must immediately restore funding to the legal service providers who can provide safe and trusted counsel to families who have been so grievously harmed.”
“Separated families have already endured so much trauma at the hands of our government and now they are being told that the United States is not keeping our promise to help them rebuild their lives and assist them with their legal cases,” said Sara Van Hofwegen, Managing Director of Legal Access Programs at the Acacia Center for Justice. “This is happening at the same time the government is eliminating legal services for immigrants across the board, leaving Ms. L class members even more vulnerable and with nowhere else to turn for help. The Immigration Court Helpdesk and Legal Orientation Program for custodians are just two of the legal orientation programs that have been shut down. And the government ended funding for representation of unaccompanied children – including children who became unaccompanied when the government removed them from their parents, leaving children forced to attend court alone.”
“In 2017 and 2018, I was serving as the federally appointed Child Advocate for children in immigration detention, and I worked with a number of separated children. I remember the day I met an 11-year-old boy from Honduras that I will call Danilo who was separated from his father Hernan. It had been three months since they were separated, and Danilo hadn’t seen his dad’s face or heard his voice in all that time until a short video call was arranged. When they were finally reunified after four months of separation, they hugged for so long, like neither wanted to let go ever again. It’s been 7 years since Danilo and Hernan were separated. Only Danilo has been able to access a lawyer to help him file for asylum – Hernan hasn’t. The government owes it to them, yes legally, but also morally, to fulfill its obligations under the settlement agreement. Hernan is entitled to these legal services—they are the gateway to many of the other benefits under the settlement.” – Kelly Kribs, Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights
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