On July 31, 2026, Estrella del Paso closed its legal program for unaccompanied migrant children in El Paso, Texas. Not because the need had passed. Because the Trump administration stopped paying for it.

The federal government owes the nonprofit nearly $1 million for legal services its attorneys already provided under contract. That money has been withheld. No contract renewal came. Thirteen staff members lost their jobs. And 243 children currently represented by Estrella in El Paso's immigration courts now face those proceedings without a lawyer.

This is not a policy disagreement about future spending. The government contracted for legal services, those services were delivered, and it is now refusing to pay. Federally funded legal aid for unaccompanied children has been a congressional commitment for nearly 20 years, built on the recognition that many of these children have survived trafficking, persecution, or violence and face a legal system they cannot navigate alone. Estrella's executive director, Melissa M. Lopez, put it plainly: "We know what happens to children who go to court without an attorney. In one word, it is deportation."

El Paso is one city in a national pattern. According to Estrella del Paso, the administration has withheld approximately $65 million from more than 90 nonprofits across the country that provide the same services. More than 20,000 unaccompanied children could lose legal representation as a result.

The law requires this funding. The contracts require payment. These children are already in court. Sign this petition to demand the administration release all withheld payments to Estrella del Paso and the nationwide network of legal service providers, and restore full funding for unaccompanied migrant children's legal representation now.