New York launched a state response to the void left by the interruption of the federal legal assistance program for unaccompanied immigrant minors. Governor Kathy Hochul announced this Wednesday an allocation of $7.25 million dollars to provide legal representation to approximately 1,400 children and adolescents facing immigration proceedings, including more than 250 who remain detained and could be deported.

The announcement occurred alongside New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and state Attorney General Letitia James, who questioned the immigration policies of President Donald Trump's administration and defended the need for minors to have lawyers during their proceedings.

“No child in our state should face the fear and uncertainty of the immigration process without advocates and legal support,” Hochul said.

The state funding seeks to cover the interruption caused by the expiration, on July 31, of the federal contract that for years allowed Acacia Center for Justice to coordinate legal services for children who arrived in the United States without their parents or a guardian.

The decision came amid a broader dispute between immigrant advocacy organizations and the federal government over the future of this program.

It should be remembered that the lack of payments and uncertainty about the continuity of legal services had already caused a court battle.

As part of the context of this new measure, a federal judge last week ordered the Trump administration to release about $65 million in back payments to organizations that had represented unaccompanied immigrant minors. The resources had been withheld since December 2025.

The conflict dated back to March 2025, when the Trump administration attempted to end federal funding for the legal representation of these minors. A court initially blocked that decision and later maintained the protection through a court order, according to the Justice Action Center.

The situation came to a head when the contract with Acacia expired. That agreement supported a network of almost 100 organizations that provided legal assistance to minors in different states.

The federal government then announced a new contract of up to $150 million to replace the previous scheme. The intended beneficiary was Burke Law Group, a small Houston firm with limited experience in immigration law, which raised questions among specialized organizations.

Faced with this uncertainty, New York decided to intervene with its own resources. The state Office for New Americans began formalizing contracts with a coalition of legal services providers led by the Hispanic Federation, with the goal of maintaining representation of affected minors.

The Hochul administration noted that children who arrive alone in the United States face particular risks of exploitation, abuse and trafficking, in addition to having to understand a complex immigration system while they may be detained or separated from their families.

The concern is not limited to New York. Immigrant advocacy organizations have warned that the interruption of legal services can increase the risk that minors will face their proceedings without a lawyer, an especially delicate situation when an immigration decision can end with a deportation order.

Legal representation does not constitute a guarantee of permanence in the United States. Its importance lies in the fact that it allows minors to know their options and be able to present before a judge any argument or request for protection that corresponds to their case.

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