More than 20,000 unaccompanied migrant children face legal crisis, according to NGO
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
Between 20,000 and 26,000 migrant children who arrived in the United States without guardians are facing a legal 'crisis' in the country because the Trump administration cut funding to civil organizations that defend them in court, warned the group Americans for Immigrants Justice (AI Justice) on Thursday. The federal contract for 100 organizations expired on July 31, impacting charitable lawyer associations like AI Justice, which lost 40% of its budget and reduced its staff, said the organization's director, Sui Chung, during the opening of a symposium on the topic in Miami. These cuts come at a 'critical' time for migrant children in the U.S., where nearly two-thirds of them, 63%, did not have a defender in their cases in 2025, noted attorney Esther Olavarria, citing data from the Vera Institute of Justice, which estimated 425,000 minors affected, including those who did arrive with guardians.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
