A group of 32 U.S. Senators, led by Senators Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI), is urging the Trump Administration to guarantee legal representation for unaccompanied children in the immigration system.
The Senators have called on Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum to continue funding legal services for these vulnerable children, as mandated by federal law. Their demand follows a recent decision by the administration to halt funding for legal aid organizations assisting unaccompanied minors. After facing public criticism, the administration reversed the order last week.
“Pausing or terminating legal services for unaccompanied children under this contract directly contradicts the requirements of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) and puts 26,000 children at greater risk of trafficking, exploitation, and other harm,” the Senators wrote in a letter to Secretaries Kennedy and Burgum. “The TVPRA, passed with bipartisan support in 2008, requires HHS to ensure that all unaccompanied children have legal counsel to represent them in court and protect them from abuse and trafficking.”
The letter was co-signed by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Angus King (I-ME), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Gary Peters (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE).
According to a recent Guardian report, the organizations impacted by the funding halt provide legal representation for approximately 26,000 unaccompanied minors. The Senators argue that denying these services would make it more difficult for the government to track unaccompanied children, increasing their risk of trafficking. It would also exacerbate inefficiencies in the already overwhelmed immigration court system.
Senator Ossoff has been vocal in his efforts to protect vulnerable children. Last week, he raised concerns over the Trump Administration’s decision to house migrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in overcrowded and understaffed federal prisons, including FCI Atlanta.
In a separate bipartisan effort, Ossoff and Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) recently introduced the Generate Recordings of All Child Protective Interviews Everywhere (GRACIE) Act, which aims to increase transparency and improve outcomes for children involved with Child Protective Services, including Georgia’s Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS).
Last year, as Chairman of the Senate Human Rights Subcommittee, Ossoff released a 64-page report summarizing a 13-month investigation into the safety of foster children. The report highlighted widespread abuse and neglect, including hidden foster care placements in Georgia.
The Senators continue to push for legal protections and resources to safeguard the well-being of unaccompanied children within the immigration system.
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