Democrats press HHS over legal representation of migrant children
Lawmakers say the changes could leave more than 24,000 children without counsel and question awards to firms they call unqualified.
- On Monday, 63 Congressional Democrats sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., raising concerns over federal contracts awarded to firms they say lack immigration experience.
- Following the expiration of a $200 million contract with the Acacia Center, HHS awarded a no-bid $158 million agreement to Our Rescue last month, affecting more than 24,000 children nationwide.
- Lawmakers question the suitability of Our Rescue, formerly Operation Underground Railroad, which does not list legal services among its primary functions and was founded by activist Tim Ballard.
- Under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, the government must provide qualified legal consultation to unaccompanied children, a mandate lawmakers argue these contracts now jeopardize.
- Health and Human Services officials defended the selection, calling Our Rescue 'a premier organization' for anti-trafficking, though critics maintain entrusting inexperienced firms risks the legal fate of thousands of children.
15 Articles
15 Articles
HHS faces questions over million-dollar contracts to provide legal assistance to migrant children, as doubts about new providers grow
Democrats press HHS over legal representation of migrant children - Regional Media News
(WASHINGTON) - Congressional Democrats are pressing federal health officials following the government's decision to end a contract with legal advocacy groups that provide legal representation to migrant children. In a letter sent Monday to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. [...]
Legal aid for immigrant kids remains in question after Trump administration pulls contract | The Highland County Press
More than 20,000 unaccompanied immigrant youth remain at risk of losing their legal representation, one month after the Trump administration ended a federal contract with an organization that provided legal services to migrant children, advocates and attorneys said this month.
MyCentralOregon.com
Democrats press HHS over legal representation of migrant children
Families arrive for a court hearing in immigration court on July 31, 2026, in New York City. More than 1,400 migrant children across New York, including more than 700 in New York City, are set to lose
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