Judge reinstates funding for migrant children
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- A federal judge has ordered the reinstatement funding for legal services for migrant children who come to the U.S. alone.
The ruling temporarily blocks a trump administration order from last month that put children at risk of deportation.
Non-profit groups said the funding cut could cause thousands of children to lose access to their attorneys, giving them a disadvantage in immigration proceedings.
The government argued it was not obligated to provide the children with legal representation.
But the judge said ending the funding meant the government potentially violated its duty to protect children from human trafficking.
The non-profits cited an anti-human trafficking law that says the government must, to the “greatest extent practicable,” provide legal representation to minors.
