The Young Center Calls on Trump Admin. to Restore Legal Services for Unaccompanied Children

PHOENIX, AZ — Gladis Molina Alt, Executive Director for the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, released the following statement in response to an immediate, near-total termination of legal services under the Unaccompanied Children Program:   

“In a world where basic legal protections for immigrants have been abandoned, ending essential legal services for unaccompanied immigrant children, who will now be thrown into court proceedings completely alone, makes a mockery of the term 'justice’, said Gladis Molina Alt, Executive Director for the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights. “No proceeding is fair when a child is unrepresented. As the federally appointed best-interests Child Advocates for the most vulnerable children in custody, our role cannot replace independent attorneys representing the children’s legal interests. We urge that the Trump Administration restore critical legal services for every child in federal custody and call on Congress to demand that the Administration restore services previously approved by bipartisan Congresses." 

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The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights is a non-profit organization that protects and advances the rights and best interests of immigrant children and advocates for an immigration system that treats children as children first.