RMIAN Decries Termination of Funding for Legal Representation for Unaccompanied Children

MEDIA INQUIRIES 

Contact: Ashley Harrington, aharrington@rmian.org, RMIAN Children’s Program Managing Attorney 

Westminster, Colorado, March 21, 2025—Today the federal government suddenly and without notice cancelled its contract to provide funding for legal representation to unaccompanied children. This order immediately stops all funding for legal representation of over 26,000 unaccompanied children across the country, including close to 200 children represented by RMIAN in Colorado.

“This brazen, heartless act endangers children’s lives,” says Ashley Harrington, RMIAN Children’s Program Managing Attorney. “RMIAN represents child survivors of trafficking, abuse and trauma, including children as young as two years old. Children cannot be expected to navigate the harsh and complicated immigration legal system without an attorney. This administration wants to force us to abandon them to face ICE and the immigration courts alone. But we will continue to stand in solidarity with these children and fight to protect their rights to legal representation.” 

These are stories of children RMIAN has recently helped through the Unaccompanied Children's Program:

• Growing up, Lydia* was beaten by her father almost daily. As a young teenager, she fled her home and came to the United States as an unaccompanied child. RMIAN will no longer receive funding from ORR to continue Lydia's legal representation, even though she is eligible to receive a green card and eventually become a U.S. citizen. 

• RMIAN represents three siblings ages 7-13 who came to the United States on their own last year after their parents were killed by gang members in their home country and they were left with an abusive uncle. RMIAN will no longer receive funding to continue the fight to prevent these siblings’ deportation.  

* Indicates use of a pseudonym. 

“The termination of this essential and life-saving legal work is a direct attack not only on the children and families who RMIAN represents, but also on the rule of law and fundamental fairness in the U.S. legal system. The cruelty of this decision could not be more stark: forcing vulnerable children and youth to represent themselves in adversarial court proceedings where their lives may be on the line. RMIAN rejects this cruelty. We will fight with and for our child clients, and for due process and fairness in our country,” says Mekela Goehring, Executive Director, RMIAN.  

Please follow this link to send a letter to your elected representatives and demand the administration resume this funding that provides life-saving legal support to thousands of children every year. 

To learn more about the unaccompanied children’s program and its critical legal services please register for a public webinar on Monday March 24, 2025 at noon MST.  

To donate to RMIAN’s work to ensure legal representation for individuals in immigration proceedings in Colorado, please visit www.rmian.org/donate.