NY announces funding to provide legal service to unaccompanied immigrant children – NBC New York

New York state and local leaders, as well as immigration advocates, joined forces Wednesday to announce that the state will provide $7.25 million to provide legal services for roughly 1,400 unaccompanied immigrant children in the state after the Trump Administration contract with legal service providers expired last month.

For nearly two decades, the federal government has been required by law to protect immigrant children. Legal representation is necessary as unaccompanied minors are more likely to be trafficked, abused and endangered, the state said.

“No child in our state should ever face the fear and uncertainty of the immigration process without advocates and legal support in their corner,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “While the Trump Administration is walking away from these children, New York is stepping up to help bridge the gap and ensure their continued access to the services they need and deserve. When we lose sight of our shared responsibility to protect children, we lose sight of who we are as a country, and as Governor, I will not let that happen.”

Wednesday’s announcement stipulates that New York State Office for New Americans (ONA) is executing contracts totaling $7.25 million with a coalition of legal services providers, led by the Hispanic Federation, to support children previously served under the federal program — a legal program that the state said has been adhered to and funded by both Democratic and Republican administrations. Until now.

“New York will never stand by while vulnerable children are left to navigate our immigration system alone,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James, who during the press conference talked about her experience representing a minor years ago who won his case and who is now a married college graduate. “We will continue fighting to protect immigrant New Yorkers and push back against federal overreach that puts families and communities at risk.”

Also in attendance during the press conference was New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who represents one of the country’s if not the world’s most diverse city.

“New York refuses to stand idly by while the federal government abandons immigrant children and leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and deportation,” Mamdani said. “I’m proud to stand alongside state and city leaders as we reject the cruelty on display and recommit to protecting the immigrant communities that help form this city’s backbone. New York City has invested a record 153 million dollars in legal representation for immigrants, expanded Know Your Rights outreach in dozens of languages, and strengthened the firewall between city agencies and federal immigration enforcement. We will not stop until the values our city was built upon are truly felt across the five boroughs.”

More than 20,000 unaccompanied migrant children nationwide are at risk of losing legal counsel after the Trump administration ended a contract with the Acacia Center for Justice, which contracts with legal service providers.

The Department of Health and Human Services has withheld $65 million in bipartisan funding appropriated by Congress, forcing providers to turn away new clients—especially young children—and pushing some organizations toward closure.

“We have been providing these legal services since November 2025 without receiving payment,” said Mireya Moreno Rodas, director of program design and operations at Acacia Center for Justice.

Of the total funding provided by Congress, nearly $6 million is allocated to New York state and $4 million to New York City.

The Door, a New York City youth development organization in the Acacia network, represents 277 clients under the federal contract. The agreement fully funded nine attorneys and partially funded four others.

The organization said the Trump administration owes it $2 million in a statement.

“At The Door, we believe every young person deserves safety, dignity, and a fair chance to build a future,” CEO Kelsey Louie said. “As the challenges facing immigrant children continue to grow, access to legal representation is one of the most important safeguards. It protects them from deportation, exploitation, and further harm.”

“For months, we and other organizations have continued this lifesaving work without payment, stretching already strained resources because abandoning these young people was never an option.”

In New York City, more than 700 children are at risk of losing access to legal services, while more than 1,400 are at risk statewide. With Wednesday’s announcement, this risk seems to have dissipated — at least for now.

Beyond the risk of deportation, appearing before an immigration judge without legal assistance can compound the trauma of being separated from their parents and living in uncertain circumstances.

“[Children] can be summoned to court at ages 2, 5, 10, and 15 to appear before a judge; sometimes, despite not speaking English, they are asked questions in English, and they are unable to respond because they have no one to support them,” said Antonio Fernández, executive director of Catholic Charities. “It is a bicultural and bilingual issue, and one that I believe is extremely dangerous for these minors, who will now be deported much more quickly to other countries.”

According to The Door, children without lawyers win the right to remain in the country less than 10% of the time.