A federal judge in California has blocked the Trump administration From the termination of financing for legal advice for minors of unaccompanied migrants.
Designated by ancient President Joe BidenU.S. District Judge, Araceli Martínez-Olguín de San Francisco, issued a temporary containment order on Tuesday that will prevent the Trump administration from finishing the funding as long as the merits of the underlying case.
The Trump administration on March 21 terminated a contract with the Acacia Center for Justice, which offers legal services for unaccompanied migrant children under 18 through a network of legal aid groups that outsource the center. Eleven subcontractors groups sued, saying that 26,000 children were at risk of losing their lawyers; Acacia is not a plaintiff.
These groups argued that the Government has an obligation under a 2008 traffic law to provide vulnerable children with a legal lawyer.
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Immigrants align in the dining room at a U.S. government center for migrant children, on July 9, 2019, in Carrizo Springs, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
In his order on Tuesday, Martínez-Olguín said that the defenders had raised legitimate questions as to whether the administration violated the 2008 law, justifying a return to the status quo as long as the case continues.
« The court also finds that the continued funding of legal representation for unaccompanied children promotes efficiency and equity within the immigration system, » he wrote.
It is the third legal mishap in less than a week for the repression of immigration of the Trump administration, although they can all be temporary as the lawsuits progress.
The number of border crossings along the southern border -in March was just over 7,000, according to CBP’s latest numbers. (Border Image: Getty / Trump Image: AP)
The 2008 Traffic Protection Rea -Protection Law created special protections for migrant children who cannot navigate a complex immigration system on their own. The plaintiffs said that some of their customers are too young to speak and others are too traumatized and they do not know English.
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The defendants, including the Department of Health and Human Services and their Refugee Office, said that taxpayers have no obligation to pay the cost of direct legal assistance to migrant children at a time when the Government tries to save money.
Acacia is under a new contract with the Government to provide legal guidance, including clinics « know your rights ».
This photo shows the migrants on the southern border found in Arizona. (United States border patrol)
The plaintiffs said that they do not ask for the contract to be restored, but they want to return to the status quo, which spends $ 5 billion that Congress appropriated for children to be represented, said Karen Tumlin with the Justice Action Center at a judicial audience on Tuesday.
Jonathan Ross, with the Department of Justice, said that the Government continues to fund legally necessary activities, such as the clinics « knowing your rights » and that legal clinics can offer their services without charge.
« They are still free to provide these services professionally, » he said.
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The order of Martinez-Olguin comes into force on Wednesday morning and will last until April 16.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
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