The information in this blog post is current as of September 28, 2026.
Disruption of Services to Children
On July 31, 2026, the administration ended a contract with the Acacia Center for Justice, impacting a network of almost 100 legal service providers working with unaccompanied children to provide legal screenings, legal orientations, and representation for unaccompanied immigrant children across the nation. This change impacted the Children’s Immigration Law Academy (CILA), as well as many other organizations. As a result of the disruption in the legal services network, unaccompanied children’s cases have been affected, and many children are at risk of losing critical services and their counsel.
The ABA Journal’s article, “What is the future of unaccompanied children representation after federal funding loss?,” provides more detail including sharing experiences from the ABA South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project (ProBAR), that has provided services to unaccompanied children for decades, and has seen the impact on the ground.
The administration attempted to eliminate representation for immigrant children in the Spring of 2025, bringing rise to litigation in the suit, Community Legal Services In East Palo Alto v. The Department of Health and Human Services (CLSEPA v. HHS), which remains pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. On April 29, 2025, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction in the lawsuit challenging the government’s decision to terminate services and ordered restoration of funding for legal services for unaccompanied children. In August 2026, the court ordered the administration to pay for services previously delivered in accordance with the court’s prior preliminary injunction in the matter. Read information on the active litigation, including viewing the docket and information from one plaintiff, Justice Action Center.
Learn More from the ABA Commission on Immigration Briefing
On September 15, 2026, the ABA Commission on Immigration hosted a briefing, “Who Will Serve the Children? The Future of Legal Services for Unaccompanied Immigrant Children.” The briefing brought together leaders from the American Bar Association Commission on Immigration’s projects, CILA, ProBAR, and Immigration Justice Project (IJP), to explain what the loss of funding has meant on the ground—and how philanthropic investment can help preserve a coordinated national response. Learn more about these issues and watch the briefing recording.
Support CILA’s Future – Reflecting on 11 Years of Service
CILA is the only expert legal resource center focused entirely on children’s immigration matters nationwide. For 11 years, CILA has tracked changes in immigration law and policy, created spaces for advocates to share legal strategies, and empowered attorneys to advocate for their child clients in court. On July 31, the federal funding contract CILA depended on ended, and CILA is seeking donations to continue our services.
Our work has greatly impacted legal service providers’ ability to represent immigrant youth. CILA's guidance has helped thousands of advocates, and pro bono attorneys represent children with courage, competency, compassion, and creativity.
CILA’s small team delivers high-quality technical assistance answers, hosts in-depth training events, and writes practice guides and rapid response resources. Together we fight to defend the rights of immigrant children and youth seeking protection and due process.
We are currently trying to raise $100,000 to help us continue our work of empowering advocates who guide immigrant youth through complex legal procedures. Please donate to CILA today. Without CILA, advocates will face a tougher landscape with fewer resources and capacity to provide legal representation.