Estrella Del Paso ordered to stop representing unaccompanied migrant children
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)-- A month after the same order was rescinded, the Catholic Diocese organization, Estrella Del Paso, is no longer able to legally represent unaccompanied migrant children.
In 2024 Estrella Del Paso represented 8,763 migrant children in court, some as young as six months old. This has been under the Unaccompanied Children's Program, now that program has been almost been completely terminated by the Trump administration.
"Meaning that children, immigrant children will now have to go to court, and represent themselves regardless of their age," says Sandra Ramirez the Director of Estrella Del Paso.
The Interior Department handles contracts for the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) who funds the Acacia Center for Justice. The Department is cutting funding for most of the work that's done under the Unaccompanied Children's Program. ABC News obtained a memo from the department saying quote,
"The government reserves the right to terminate this contract, or any part hereof, for its sole convenience," the memo says. "In the event of such termination, the Contractor shall immediately stop all work hereunder and shall immediately cause any and all of its suppliers and subcontractors to cease work."
Estrella Del Paso receives about three million dollars a year through their contract with Acacia.
The only funding that remains for the Unaccompanied Children's Program is for the Know Your Rights Presentations and Legal Screenings. Lopez says when it comes to their day in court, kids shouldn't be expected to understand the legal complexities that some attorneys still struggle with.
"They would have to be able to explain the nuances of their asylum claim without anybody really ever telling them what those nuances are.So they would innately have to know what they are expected to tell the court in order to avoid being," Lopez told ABC-7.
