Immigration – Trump Awards $150 Million Migrant Children Legal Services Contract to Texas Firm
Immigration –The Trump administration has awarded a one-year contract worth $150 million to a Houston-based law firm, Burke Law Group, to provide legal assistance to unaccompanied migrant children in U.S. government shelters. The decision has sparked concern among long-established legal aid organizations, which argue that replacing experienced immigration advocates with a firm that has limited immigration law expertise could affect children’s ability to fairly present their cases in immigration court.
Legal Aid Groups Raise Due Process Concerns
Organizations that have represented migrant children for years expressed disappointment after learning that their previous nationwide legal services contract expired without renewal. They say the new arrangement could leave vulnerable children without access to experienced legal counsel at a time when immigration enforcement efforts are expanding.
Michael Lukens, executive director of the Amica Center, criticized the decision, saying children deserve meaningful legal representation rather than being placed in the hands of an organization with limited experience handling complex immigration cases. According to advocacy groups, around 1,800 children are currently staying in federally operated shelters, while approximately 22,000 others are living with approved sponsors such as relatives.
Contract Awarded Without Competitive Bidding
The Department of Health and Human Services announced that Burke Law Group will begin providing services from August 15 under a one-year agreement. Government documents describe the award as a single-source cooperative agreement, meaning the contract was issued without a competitive bidding process. No public explanation was provided for bypassing the usual procurement procedures.
A review of the firm’s publicly available attorney profiles indicates that only a small number of its lawyers identify immigration law as one of their practice areas. Several other attorneys have backgrounds in corporate law and conservative public policy. The firm’s founder, Marcella Burke, previously served in legal positions during President Donald Trump’s first administration, including roles at the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Interior.
Existing Legal Protections Remain in Place
Federal law provides special protections for children who arrive in the United States without a parent or legal guardian. Under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, the government must facilitate access to legal representation for children involved in immigration proceedings.
Until recently, those responsibilities were carried out by a nationwide network of nearly 100 nonprofit legal organizations. Besides representing children in immigration court, these groups also conducted educational sessions explaining legal rights and court procedures.
Funding Disputes Add to Uncertainty
Legal service providers say uncertainty has increased after the previous contract ended. Some organizations also report delays in receiving reimbursement for work completed over recent months. They claim the government has requested detailed client information that attorneys believe they cannot ethically disclose because of confidentiality obligations.
Advocates have also pointed to changes in immigration court scheduling. They say more cases are now being placed on accelerated calendars, reducing the amount of time children and their legal representatives have to prepare before hearings.
Courtroom Confusion Over Representation
Additional confusion emerged after attorneys across multiple states reported unexpected developments during immigration hearings. According to emails reviewed by The Associated Press, the Office of Refugee Resettlement contacted lawyers representing detained migrant children, requesting client identification numbers and asking them to quickly confirm their participation in upcoming hearings.
Separate incidents were also reported in which attorneys unfamiliar with specific cases appeared in court after being asked by federal officials to represent children whose existing lawyers were already assigned.
One such situation occurred during a hearing in Chicago, where an attorney connected to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants joined remotely, explaining that the organization had been contacted to provide temporary representation because of a perceived gap in legal services. The judge declined to allow the attorney to participate after confirming the children already had legal counsel.
Attorneys representing affected children questioned why outside organizations had received confidential client information when legal representation was already in place. Similar reports were later described by immigration lawyers in Houston and other court locations, adding to ongoing concerns about communication and case management during the transition.