FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 2, 2025
CONTACT: press@acaciajustice.org
WASHINGTON – Bettina Rodriguez Schlegel, chief of staff at the Acacia Center for Justice, issued the following statement in response to a Temporary Restraining Order issued in CLSEPA v. HHS, which orders the temporary restoration of critical legal services for unaccompanied children.
“The temporary restraining order issued by the court affirms what we know to be true – ending representation for more than 26,000 unaccompanied children not only would cause irreparable harm but stands in violation of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, which protects children who have already experienced unimaginable harm from additional mistreatment, abuse, exploitation or trafficking.
“While this relief is a much-needed first step for our partners across the country and the clients they serve, it is a temporary reprieve. Funding for this vital program must be fully reinstated so we can ensure that vulnerable children seeking safety have the legal support they need, as defined by ORR’s own regulations, ultimately protecting them from exploitation and ensuring a fair legal process.
“Particularly at a time when the administration is forcing young people through our nation’s deportation system at an unprecedented speed, legal services including representation, friend of court, and volunteer attorney recruitment are more critical than ever.”
Earlier today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, medical experts, and lawyers representing unaccompanied kids held a press conference on the Trump administration’s near-total termination of legal services for unaccompanied children, calling for a full restoration of funding for the program.
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