# Trump Targets Legal Aid for Migrant Children > Trump administration cuts $200m legal aid funding, forcing migrant lawyers to work without pay. - Title: Trump Targets Legal Aid for Migrant Children · Mother Jones - Summary: Trump administration cuts $200m legal aid funding, forcing migrant lawyers to work without pay. Trump administration cuts $200 million in federal legal aid… - Keywords: trump administration, legal aid, migrant children, unaccompanied children program, immigrant defense, federal funding, pro bono, deportation, immigration law, legal representation, migrant rights, immigration policy - Source: Mother Jones — https://motherjones.com/politics/2026/09/legal-aid-immigrants-trump-miller-raices-al-otro-lado-immdef-deportation - Author: Kyle Paoletta - Published: 2026-09-30T07:00:00+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: trump administration, legal aid, migrant children, unaccompanied children program, immigrant defense, federal funding, pro bono, deportation, immigration law, legal representation, migrant rights, immigration policy ## First Trump came for immigrants On Labor Day weekend 2025, immigration attorney Cooper Richardson called a Phoenix shelter where a Guatemalan child was detained. > I was nervous and shaking and scared, and I’m not the one who might have been put on a plane. ## Trump cuts legal aid funding The Trump administration cut $200 million in federal funding for legal defense of migrant children, forcing layoffs and longer hours. > The Trump administration ended humanitarian parole for 1.4 million refugees and migrants who entered during the Biden administration. ## Legal aid groups face crisis Legal aid groups like the Florence Project and ImmDef had to lay off staff while handling increased deportations and detention. > I talked to about 30 kids that Friday, including one as young as 3 years old. ## RAICES loses half its staff RAICES in Texas lost 159 employees after federal funding for its Unaccompanied Children Program was cut in March 2025. > There’s no meeting with a supervisor, no inclination around the office that this is happening. ## ImmDef shifts focus ImmDef’s lawyers now represent migrants detained through racial profiling and warrantless arrests, not those awaiting asylum. > The vast majority of new clients are people who’ve lived in Southern California for 10, 20 years, most with no criminal history. ## Our Rescue takes over The Trump administration awarded a $158 million contract to Our Rescue, an anti-sex-trafficking group with no legal experience, to run the Unaccompanied Children Program. > Our Rescue does not do this work. They are not qualified, and there has been no indication that that contract has been signed. ## Legal aid groups scramble Legal aid groups like RAICES and ImmDef continue representing clients without pay after federal funding cuts. > We have an ethical, legal, and moral obligation to continue representing these children, and with or without money from the federal government, we must do that. ## Internal conflicts rise Legal aid groups face internal conflicts as staff members are laid off and leadership shifts focus. > It’s such a disservice to the people who really need our help to put ego before talent. ## Funding cuts continue The Trump administration continues to cut federal funding for legal aid, leaving groups to work without pay. > The Trump administration cut $200 million in federal funding for legal defense of migrant children. ## Migrant children face detention Migrant children are being detained without legal representation, leading to increased risks of deportation. > The vast majority of new clients are people who’ve lived in Southern California for 10, 20 years, most with no criminal history. ## Legal aid groups adapt Legal aid groups adapt by working pro bono and expanding their services to meet the needs of detained migrants. > We are winning cases despite all the terrible stuff that’s happening out there. ## Trump administration targets legal aid The Trump administration targets legal aid groups by cutting funding and increasing deportations. > The Trump administration ended humanitarian parole for 1.4 million refugees and migrants who entered during the Biden administration. ## Migrant rights under threat Migrant rights are under threat as legal aid groups struggle to provide representation without funding. > We are gaining asylum for our clients. We’re getting clients released from detention. ## Legal aid groups continue Legal aid groups continue representing clients despite funding cuts and increased deportations. > We call them hard-fought losses. Every time we help a client access due process and actively participate in their immigration case. ## Migrant children in crisis Migrant children face increased risks of deportation without legal representation. > The vast majority of new clients are people who’ve lived in Southern California for 10, 20 years, most with no criminal history. ## What happens next Legal aid groups will continue representing migrant children without pay as the Trump administration cuts funding. > We have an ethical, legal, and moral obligation to continue representing these children, and with or without money from the federal government, we must do that. ## Key takeaway Trump administration cuts $200 million in federal legal aid funding for migrant children, leaving organizations to represent clients without pay.