UN Condemns US Move That Leaves Migrant Children Without Legal Support
In a forceful rebuke, United Nations human rights experts have condemned a Trump administration decision to cut legal aid for unaccompanied children facing U.S. immigration proceedings. The move, which the experts call a “serious violation of the rights of children,” has ignited a sharp international dispute over the treatment of vulnerable minors.
The independent experts, appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, stated unequivocally that forcing children to navigate complex legal proceedings without counsel breaches their fundamental rights. This criticism follows a recent appeal from UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, urging the U.S. to ensure its migration policies respect international law.
A Policy Under Fire
The controversy stems from a February order by the U.S. Department of the Interior, which directed legal service providers assisting these children to cease work and terminated their funding. Although providers sued and a federal judge temporarily restored the program’s funding, the administration’s intent was clear: to end government-supported legal representation for unaccompanied minors.
This action is part of a broader immigration crackdown that includes efforts to deport hundreds of thousands of migrant children who entered the U.S. without parents. The UN experts labeled these deportations unlawful, arguing they violate the international principle of non-refoulement—which prohibits returning people to countries where they face serious threats—and put children at risk of trafficking.
The experts also criticized a related administration offer of $2,500 to encourage unaccompanied children to voluntarily leave the country.
The White House Response
The White House dismissed the UN condemnation. Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson asserted that “no one takes the UN seriously because of their extreme bias and selective outrage,” contending the administration should be praised for “protecting children.” The White House claimed it has attempted to locate children it says were smuggled into the U.S. under prior leadership, though it did not provide specific evidence.
The Scale of the Challenge
The debate centers on a significant population. According to U.S. government data, more than 600,000 migrant children have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without a parent or legal guardian since 2019. The UN experts maintain that for these children, “child-sensitive justice procedures should be guaranteed in all immigration and asylum proceedings.”
This clash highlights a fundamental disagreement: the administration frames its policies as necessary enforcement and protection, while international human rights bodies see them as a dangerous erosion of legal protections for society’s most vulnerable. As legal battles continue in U.S. courts, the world watches a pivotal struggle over what rights unaccompanied migrant children are entitled to on American soil.
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