A federal contract termination over the summer has left Americans for Immigrant Justice, a Florida legal advocacy group, without the funding it used to represent unaccompanied immigrant children. The result was staff layoffs, including attorneys who had spent five to ten years on this work, and thousands of cases now without representation. Nationwide, advocates estimate roughly 20,000 children could face immigration court on their own.
The timing makes it harder. Courts have until December to complete expedited cases, so hearings are moving quickly and in-absentia deportation orders, where a child never appears in court, are climbing. Some dockets reportedly see rates up to 70 percent. Children are also spending three to four months in detention now, compared to the days or weeks they used to spend in shelter custody. The funding upheaval traces back to the government ending its contract with the Acacia Center for Justice and delaying reimbursements for nearly a year. A new contract has since gone to OUR Rescue, an anti-trafficking nonprofit.
For Suncoast families and anyone who cares about children’s welfare, the question is bigger than one contract. It’s about what happens when a child, thousands of miles from family, stands in front of a judge with no one beside them. What do you think should happen next? Share your thoughts with us.
