FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 18, 2025
CONTACT: press@acaciajustice.org
WASHINGTON –Shaina Aber, Executive Director of the Acacia Center for Justice issued the following statement in response to a stop-work order emailed from the Department of the Interior ordering the Center to immediately pause services on the Unaccompanied Children Program:
“Acacia’s Unaccompanied Children Program provides legal representation to over 26,000 children in and released from Office of Refugee Resettlement custody, protecting children from trafficking, abuse and exploitation, helping immigration courts run smoother, and ensuring a modicum of due process, so that children navigating the immigration system alone understand their rights and legal obligations.
“This decision flies in the face of ensuring children who have been trafficked or are at risk of trafficking have child-friendly legal representatives protecting their legal rights and interests. Children with counsel are empowered with the information and assistance that ensures they not only are protected from dangerous circumstances in their community but attend their immigration proceedings and remain engaged with the court process. In fact, 94% of children with counsel attend their immigration court hearings.
“The administration’s decision to suspend this program undermines due process, disproportionately impacts vulnerable children, and puts children who have already experienced severe trauma at risk for further harm or exploitation. We stand ready to work with the Department of Health and Human Services to review and rapidly restore these essential services so that Acacia and our partners can continue supporting vulnerable children.”
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