A pregnant 16-year-old girl who had been a victim of sex trafficking since she was 6 crossed the border from Mexico seeking to prevent the same kind of abuse from happening to her child. However, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has shut down critical legal representation programs for unaccompanied immigrant children, leaving many vulnerable children at risk of deportation back to abusive situations. The Trump administration’s decision to end funding for lawyers assisting immigrant children has caused organizations to lay off staff and struggle to continue providing legal assistance. Thousands of children, including victims of abuse, violence, and trafficking, are now facing deportation without legal aid, putting them in danger and at risk of being separated from families in the U.S. The impact of these changes is beginning to be seen, with children being left in long-term foster care or seeking voluntary departure due to lack of sponsorship. Attorneys working with these children are scrambling to provide assistance before they are forced to close cases, leaving traumatized children to navigate the complex immigration system alone. The funding cuts have forced organizations to lay off staff and downsize, leaving many children without legal representation or protection in court proceedings. This shift is pushing immigrant children back into a system where they are expected to represent themselves, a situation that is particularly traumatizing for children who have a history of abandonment and trauma.
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