Federal Funding Halt Impacts Legal Support for Immigrant Children in Michigan
The Trump administration has issued a directive halting work by attorneys representing immigrant children in legal proceedings across Michigan and other states. This development has raised concerns about the future of thousands of pending immigration cases.
The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC), which currently advocates for about 800 children within the legal system, relies heavily on federal funding from the Legal Services for Unaccompanied Children program to carry out its mission.
Susan Reed, the director of MIRC, described the range of their young clients, from infants to teenagers, emphasizing the emotional support sometimes required, “These are clients who we sometimes have to bring teddy bears for so that they’re not quite so afraid to go to their deportation hearing,” said Reed.
On a national scale, this stop work order affects the legal representation of approximately 26,000 immigrant children. A communication from the U.S. Department of the Interior addressed to the center clarified that this action is due to factors beyond the center’s control and should not be seen as a reflection of inadequate service by the attorneys.
Despite the setback, Reed stated that MIRC intends to continue representing these children using non-federal grant funds, although these resources are finite. She highlighted the importance of legal assistance, noting, “With legal assistance, many of our clients become lawful permanent residents before they reach adulthood; without legal assistance the statistics show that’s very unlikely.”
—
Read More Michigan News
