Acacia will keep fighting for kids; we will not violate legal ethics or our moral values.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 4, 2026
CONTACT: press@acaciajustice.org
WASHINGTON — For nearly two decades, the staff at Acacia Center for Justice had a contract with Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement to provide legal services to unaccompanied immigrant children, legal services that were funded by bipartisan legislation. This contract ended on July 31.
To be clear, Acacia did not accept a bridge contract from the administration. We declined this contract because it would have required legal service providers to turn over confidential client information that could be used to deport the very children we are committed to protecting as a condition of payment. That would not only violate our legal ethics, but also our moral values.
It is our understanding that, to date, the administration still does not have a contractor in place to provide these congressionally mandated legal services. While Acacia may no longer be that provider, we are adamant that whichever organization takes over this contract, it must have the deep experience required to navigate our country’s complex immigration system and the training to work with vulnerable children, many of whom fled violence, trafficking, and abuse to come to this country.
The administration doesn’t get to manufacture a crisis, offer an unacceptable “fix”, and then claim it’s solved. More than 20,000 unaccompanied children are waiting for a real solution – one that comes with experienced immigration attorneys who will do what the law calls for and stand up for their rights.
Take action to defend the rights of unaccompanied children here.
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FACES BEHIND THE NUMBERS: STORIES OF UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN AT RISK
Over the past nine days, Acacia Center for Justice shared stories of unaccompanied children from across its nationwide network to illustrate what is at stake as this contract ends and the critical role legal representation plays in protecting children’s rights and futures. These stories are below.
- A deaf, non-verbal, and autistic child arrived in the United States after years of isolation, trauma, and barriers to education. During his journey to the U.S., the child was kidnapped and held for ransom for nearly a year before his mother was able to secure his escape. After reaching safety and living in the U.S. for years, his own family didn’t know he qualified for immigration relief. It took legal advocates to identify his case, fight for it, and win. Today, he is attending school and building a future that once seemed out of reach. Without an attorney, he may never have applied for the protections available to him and could have faced deportation to the same conditions he left.
- A teenager spent years surviving abuse, exploitation, and a dangerous living situation. When she finally connected with legal services, her attorneys did more than represent her in court: they filed a police report, connected her to support services, secured her work authorization, and won her the protections that let her leave. Today, she has her GED and is looking toward college. Without a lawyer, she may have remained trapped, eligible for protection under the law, but with no way to reach it.
- A 12-year old child arrived in the United States after surviving years of labor trafficking, abuse, and exploitation that began when she was five. She endured repeated abuse from the people who should have protected her. She fled in search of safety and stability, and legal advocates are now helping her pursue protections that would allow her to remain in the U.S. and heal from her past trafficking and abuse. Without an attorney to advocate for her, she will likely be deported and be forced to return to the dangers she escaped.
- Another teenager arrived in the United States and was unable to speak after enduring years of trauma. She would sit silently with her attorney, picking at her skin with nervous ticks because of extreme discomfort and anxiety. After meeting regularly, they built rapport, and the teen disclosed her history of parental abandonment and neglect, and sexual abuse in her home country. She is now pursuing legal protections that offer a path toward a bright future. Her case is ongoing in both family and immigration court. Without legal representation, she will face significant obstacles in meeting court requirements and navigating the complex legal process to access the protections available to her.
- Two siblings were detained by ICE while on their way to work, despite having pending asylum cases and valid work authorization, leaving them and their family terrified. They remained in custody at a detention center for several weeks and were denied access to basic necessities. Their attorney fought relentlessly for their release, and both siblings were ultimately freed. Their experience underscores the significant barriers immigrant youth continue to face and the critical role legal representation plays in protecting their rights, dignity, and well-being amid increasing barriers for immigrants under the Trump administration.
- A young woman on the verge of turning 18 secured critical protections after overcoming years of severe trauma, abuse, and exploitation. She was repeatedly sexually abused by family members starting at the age of 8. She developed an alcohol dependency by the time she was 10 after a relative encouraged her to drink as a way to cope with her trauma. At 15, she was sent to the U.S. to work and help support her family, but soon experienced severe mental health challenges, including repeated hospitalizations and a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder. Through months of conversations, her legal and social services team gained her trust and heard her story just in time to file for relief the day before she turned 18. This was the first time she shared the full extent of her abuse. With legal representation, she was able to successfully win critical legal protections while accessing the support and stability she needed. She is now receiving treatment, pursuing asylum, applying for a work permit, and taking important steps toward building a safer, more secure future.
- A 17-year-old facing imminent deportation was given a second chance to tell his story after legal advocates intervened at a critical moment. While detained and facing a removal order, his attorney successfully reopened his case and filed an asylum application. The removal order was issued after he missed a court hearing because he relied on an adult relative who was too afraid to take him to court. Today, his asylum application is pending, and he can finally exercise his right to due process and have his case heard. Without legal representation, many children lose the opportunity to seek protections because they lack the support needed to navigate a complex immigration system. Children can miss hearings because of factors beyond their control, including language barriers, address changes, misinformation, or dependence on adults to manage court communications.
- An 18-year-old asylum seeker is caught in a legal battle that could determine where and how his case is heard. Even though his application was submitted and is pending before the asylum office, an immigration judge is claiming jurisdiction over his case and has twice rejected efforts to end immigration court proceedings. His attorney has spent months fighting to protect his rights and ensure his case is heard through the process he is entitled to under the law. Without legal representation, he will be left to navigate a complex legal dispute on his own while facing a trained government attorney in court. The result will likely be his imminent deportation.
- A 2-year-old girl from Central America came to the US with her mother (who was not yet an adult at the time) fleeing an abusive home and gang violence. The legal team representing the child and her mother have filed asylum applications for both of them. Currently, they are working through the state court system to obtain Special Immigrant Juvenile status given the abuse they suffered. The child’s Notice to Appear has not yet been filed to initiate her removal proceedings, where she will be expected to appear in Immigration Court to defend against deportation. Her legal service provider intends to be by her side at that hearing, even though they have not received the government funding to do so because it would be unconscionable for a 2-year-old to be alone in court.
- Two sisters, ages 14 and 15, from Central America, currently live in Texas with their grandmother. A pro bono attorney is representing them in a state court proceeding that may enable them to pursue Special Immigrant Juvenile status, a form of legal protection for children who are neglected, abandoned or abused, while a legal service provider is handling the sisters’ asylum applications and immigration court proceedings. These cases are ongoing, yet both the direct representation and pro bono engagement for these clients has been defunded. Both girls will be expected to appear in the Houston Immigration Court to defend themselves against deportation, and if their legal service provider is not able to accompany them and present their cases to the judge, they will likely be deported. If that happens, they will be separated from their loving grandmother who they have lived with for the past four years, and sent back to the very dangers from which they fled.
- An Afghan minor spent six months in a short-term detention facility before receiving legal support at a pivotal moment in his case. With this help, he was placed into local long-term foster care and ultimately granted asylum, opening the door to safety and stability. His school guidance counselor later connected him with a local family willing to provide him a loving home, and today, he is on track to graduate with the certainty that he can live, study, and work in the United States. His future, and the opportunities ahead of him, were only made possible through critical legal representation.
- A pregnant minor was detained by immigration authorities during a routine fingerprinting appointment. She had previously received an order of removal for missing an immigration hearing while pregnant. Despite informing officials she was 36 weeks pregnant and couldn’t fly, authorities placed her on two flights and transferred her hundreds of miles away to a detention facility in Miami just weeks before giving birth. She faced an immediate threat of deportation before her case could be fully heard, raising the risk she could be separated from her newborn. Her legal team secured an emergency stay that stopped her removal just in time, and they continue fighting her case today. Without legal representation, this young mother and her baby could have been deported before they ever had a meaningful opportunity to present their case and remain together as a family.
- A brother and sister, ages 9 and 15, are rebuilding their lives in the U.S. with their mother after their father abandoned them. Because of their circumstances, they qualified for critical protections that could help secure a stable future. With the support of pro bono legal representation, they obtained a state court order and filed visa applications; they are currently pending. An asylum application was also filed for the younger child, and the family is waiting for his first Immigration Court hearing. Legal services and social workers support the entire family, including specialized help for the daughter, who has special needs. Because the children’s immigration cases are still pending, continued legal representation is critical to protect their rights, keep them together, and help them build safe, stable futures.
- A young immigrant nearly lost his chance at permanent legal status due to conflicting birth records that listed different birth years and mothers’ names. As a result, his initial petition was denied and could have permanently blocked his path to safety and stability. With his future hanging in the balance, his legal team worked tirelessly to gather critical evidence—including school records, affidavits, dental imaging, and hand scans—to prove his age and eligibility. Their advocacy ultimately persuaded the appeals office to withdraw the denial and order a new review, paving the way for a favorable outcome. Without legal advocacy, children facing complex immigration challenges can be denied protection based on circumstances beyond their control.
- A teen girl arrived in the United States alone, hoping to reunite with her mother and find safety. After being processed as an unaccompanied minor through the Office of Refugee Resettlement, she was later reunited with her mother. With the help of legal advocates, she learned she qualified for critical protection because her father abandoned her when she was just 2-years-old. Advocates helped her mother obtain legal custody and secure the legal protections needed to safeguard her daughter’s future. The girl’s petition was approved, and she no longer faced the threat of being deported imminently. But the fight wasn’t over. Because of severe immigration backlogs, she waited nearly five years for the opportunity to apply for permanent residency. During those years, she moved to a different state. Thanks to a network of dedicated legal advocates who coordinated her case across organizations and states, she continued to receive free representation and support. Just before her eighteenth birthday, she applied for and received her green card – a life-changing milestone that transformed years of instability and waiting into security, opportunity, and hope for the future.
- A teenage boy appeared in immigration court alone for his fourth hearing, with no attorney and no clear understanding of the protections available to him. Like thousands of children forced to navigate the immigration system on their own, he was at severe risk of deportation. Without legal representation, fewer than 1% of immigrant children are granted immigration relief. Through the Friend of the Court docket, legal service providers review incoming cases and identify children who may qualify for legal protections. During this process, a legal advocate recognized that he appeared eligible for asylum. Although the judge was prepared to move forward with what could have been the boy’s final hearing, the attorney successfully requested additional time so he could pursue the asylum claim. This teenager now has a legal team representing him and they are working to file the necessary applications.
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