Media and Press

Acacia Center for Justice Statement on the Resumption of Legal Services for Formerly Separated Families

Acacia Center for Justice Statement on the Resumption of Legal Services for Formerly Separated Families  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 3, 2025 

CONTACT: press@acaciajustice.org 

WASHINGTON – Sara Van Hofwegen, managing director of legal access programs at the Acacia Center for Justice, released the following statement in response to EOIR’s issuing a new task order for Acacia to once again manage the Legal Access Services for Reunified Families (LASRF) program offering legal advice and pro bono placement services to Ms. L. Settlement class members and their qualifying additional family members:

“This hard-fought win is a testament to the strength of our partners and community members who spoke out about the critical importance – especially at this moment – of ensuring families coping with the lasting scars of separation have access to mandated legal information and support they need to navigate their immigration case.”

“As we celebrate the resumption of these services for class members and their families, we cannot ignore the families that continue to be terrorized and separated by masked agents operating with impunity in our neighborhoods, schools, and hospitals. Acacia will continue to work to safeguard programs that provide equal access to justice so that all community members, loved ones, friends, and neighbors caught up in this administration’s escalating enforcement dragnet do not have to navigate the immigration system alone.”

On April 11, 2025, the Department of Justice announced that it would discontinue the Legal Access Services for Reunified Families Program for family members who endured the first Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” family separation policies, effective on April 30.

In June and subsequently July, a federal judge ordered the reinstatement of the government’s contract with Acacia. The new task order was issued this week.

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About Acacia Center for Justice

Acacia Center for Justice expands meaningful access to justice and freedom for immigrants at risk of detention or deportation in partnership with an accountable, independent national network of immigrant legal service providers and community partners. Acacia Center for Justice’s reach and impact are unparalleled. The national nonprofit currently operates eight federally funded programs and one state funded program through a network of 130+ legal service providers located in over 80 offices across the country.