U.N. human rights experts on Tuesday sharply criticized a move by the Trump administration last year to curtail legal aid for unaccompanied children involved in U.S. immigration proceedings. The experts framed the funding cuts and program suspensions as a significant denial of the legal protections those children should receive.
The criticism arrived shortly after U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk urged the Trump administration to ensure that its migration policies comply with individual rights and obligations under international law. Turk's appeal set the context for the independent experts' statement, which underscored the vulnerability of children facing complex legal processes without professional counsel.
"Denying children their rights to legal representation and forcing them to navigate complex immigration proceedings without legal counsel is a serious violation of the rights of children," the independent experts said. These experts serve in an independent capacity and are appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council.
The controversy centers on an action in February when the U.S. Department of the Interior ordered organizations providing legal services to unaccompanied children to stop their work and cut off funding. Those legal service providers subsequently filed suit challenging the directive, and a federal judge later issued a temporary restoration of the program's funding.
The funding move occurred amid a broader immigration enforcement campaign under President Donald Trump, which includes efforts to deport hundreds of thousands of migrant children who entered the United States without parents. The U.N. experts characterized these deportation efforts as unlawful, asserting they violated international human rights law that bars removal of vulnerable groups, including children who may be at risk of human trafficking.
In addition to criticizing the funding cut and deportation push, the U.N. experts condemned an administration policy that offered unaccompanied children $2,500 to encourage voluntary departure from the United States. The experts urged measures to ensure that legal processes affecting children are tailored to their needs. "Child-sensitive justice procedures should be guaranteed in all immigration and asylum proceedings affecting children," they said, noting they have been in contact with U.S. authorities on the matter.
Requests for comment to the White House and the U.S. State Department did not receive immediate responses. The dispute remains legally and politically active as providers, courts, and international watchdogs continue to weigh in on the status of legal aid and the treatment of unaccompanied minors in immigration systems.
Context limitations: The experts' statement and the events described reflect actions and statements made by the parties referenced; details beyond those provided by the experts and the referenced government actions were not included in their public comments.