SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The Trump administration has awarded a $150 million contract to provide legal aid to unaccompanied migrant children to a Houston-based law firm with minimal immigration law experience.
The Burke Law Group, a small Houston firm whose website says it specializes in commercial litigation and corporate counsel, was awarded the contract this week. Of the 25 lawyers listed on the firm's website, only 2 have immigration experience noted in their bios.
The contract was previously held by the Acacia Center for Justice, which had worked with the government for nearly 20 years to provide legal representation to unaccompanied immigrant children — minors 18 and under who enter the country or arrive at the border alone, without a parent or legal guardian, and have no legal status. That contract expired last Friday.
Bilal Askaryar, with the Acacia Center for Justice, said the organization operates a network of roughly 100 organizations across the country.
"And we work in San Diego with Al Otrolado and immigrant defenders and others, to provide those legal services to them," Askaryar said.
Askaryar said approximately 4,100 children in California alone are at risk of losing legal representation.
"Now we're in this limbo space where there's around 4100 children in California that could lose representation if nothing is done," Askaryar said.
Without legal advocates, unaccompanied children would have to face an immigration judge alone. Askaryar described them as some of the most vulnerable immigrants in the country, who depend on legal advocacy groups to help navigate their cases.
"Sometimes the only trusted adult that they have is their lawyer," Askaryar said.
Askaryar raised concerns about whether the Burke Law Group is equipped to take on the work.
"We haven't seen anything to show that these lawyers are trained in child welfare, the protecting the interests of children, or even immigration laws," Askaryar said.
The Burke Law Group has ties to the Trump administration. The firm's founder served in Trump's first administration.
Askaryar said the Acacia Center for Justice's focus remains on the children, not the contract.
"You better bet that we're not going to abandon them. We're going to show up for them, we're gonna keep fighting," Askaryar said.
The Burke Law Group did not respond to a request for comment.
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