When Legal Help Is Put at Risk, So Is Due Process
- Lyda Ngin
- Jul 29
- 2 min read
The promise of a fair hearing means little if someone must navigate immigration court alone. In Texas and across the country, funding decisions are threatening the legal assistance that helps detained immigrants and unaccompanied children understand their rights and effectively present their cases.
On June 26, the Texas Supreme Court ordered Harris County to stop distributing money through its Immigrant Legal Services Fund while the legal challenge to this program continues. The court emphasized that the order is temporary and does not decide the merits of the case. However, the halt immediately prevents already allocated funding intended to provide legal representation to low-income Harris County residents facing immigration detention from reaching the program's five selected organizations, including JFAI.
The national threat to legal services for unaccompanied children is even more immediate. The federally funded program providing legal assistance to more than 20,000 children is expected to be dismantled on July 31. Legal providers report that the federal government has withheld $65 million in payment for work already completed, including nearly $220,000 owed to JFAI, forcing organizations to stop accepting new clients or withdraw from the program. Without continued representation, thousands of children could be required to appear in immigration court alone and without an attorney.
“Legal representation is what turns the promise of due process into a real opportunity to be heard,” said Joy Green, JFAI’s Executive Director. “When funding is blocked or withdrawn, the consequences are felt most heavily by people with the fewest resources, including children and detained individuals. JFAI will continue defending access to legal counsel and speaking out when that access is threatened.”
JFAI joined legal providers nationwide in a Digital Day of Action to raise awareness about the threat to children’s legal services. We stay committed to representing immigrants and working with partners to protect meaningful access to due process.
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