Thousands of migrant children in the United States now face increased exploitation risks after the Trump administration abruptly halted government-funded legal services meant to protect them. The administration ordered the Acacia Center for Justice, which oversees the main federal contract for these services, to “stop all work” immediately, affecting around 26,000 children in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) custody.
Increased vulnerability without legal protection
The government has long funded nonprofit efforts to provide unaccompanied children with legal counsel, including help with asylum or visas applications. Cuts to federal funding will consequently force many nonprofits to forsake their essential work, such as vital “know your rights” sessions and legal screenings.
Migrant children now face even greater risks of exploitation, trafficking, and forced labor as a result. For the past few years, more than 250,000 unaccompanied migrant children have come to the United States. Thousands have ended up in the most dangerous jobs across the country: working overnight in slaughterhouses, replacing roofs, and operating machinery in factories – all in violation of child labor laws.
As reported by CBS News, Neha Desai, an attorney at the National Center for Youth Law, calls this move “reckless” adding,
“Unaccompanied children who are unrepresented are far more likely to end up in exploitative situations, including child labor and trafficking.”
Shaina Aber, Executive Director of the Acacia Center for Justice, warned, “The due process rights of children will reach a new low.” Similarly, Lindsay Toczylowski, president of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, also condemned the decision stating,
“The Trump administration is abandoning children for the sake of politics and leaving kids to fend for themselves against our complex immigration system.”
Political motives and tragic consequences
The administration has not provided a clear reason for the funding cut. However, the move aligns with its broader hostile immigration policies.
Such policies have devastating consequences, like the case of Jocelynn Rojo Carranza, an 11-year-old girl who took her own life earlier this month. According to Metro News, Jocelynn’s classmates threatened to report her family to immigration authorities. “They told her immigration would take her parents away and she’d be left alone,” said Jocelynn’s mother, Marbella Carranza.
Her tragic death highlights the dangers migrant children face under harsh border policies. As deportation fears rise, so does the vulnerability of children like Jocelynn, who are often without protection or support.
Meanwhile, many states have enacted or introduced bills that lift restrictions on child labor laws just as child labor violations are on the rise. Consequently, traffickers and unscrupulous employers are taking advantage of the weak child labor laws and exploiting vulnerable children, fully aware that they lack alternative viable opportunities.
The fight to protect children from exploitation
Despite claims that these cuts protect children from trafficking, eliminating legal aid leaves them more exposed. Without lawyers, children must navigate the immigration system alone, increasing the risk of exploitative labor and constant fear.
Freedom United has long campaigned for policies prioritizing children’s rights and safety over political agendas. We advocate for stronger safeguards to prevent children from exploitation. This latest move underscores the urgent need to protect all children, regardless of immigration status.
Join our efforts to ensure children have the legal support they need to be free of exploitation by signing our petition to end child labor exploitation in the U.S.
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