US legal aid for 26,000 unaccompanied migrant children is at risk as the Office of Refugee Resettlement ceased funding services due to a dispute over confidential information. Lawyers warn children face deportation without representation, with some continuing pro bono.
The Trump administration identified over 15,000 cases of adults taking custody of multiple immigrant children, signaling a potential crackdown on 'super-sponsors.' Officials are investigating if these sponsors acted fraudulently, highlighting concerns about improper vetting and child exploitation.
ICE has contracted with Virginia-based private security firm MVM to locate migrant children who arrived in the US without parents, despite the company facing torture allegations. MVM is being sued over the 2017 separation of two Guatemalan fathers from their children, with the lawsuit alleging torture, enforced disappearance, and cruel treatment. A DHS spokesperson defended the partnership as focused on child welfare checks, while Democratic lawmaker Delia Ramirez criticized the arrangement as reckless.
