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2.0

HHS deploys in-house government attorneys to represent unaccompanied children in immigration court

  1. Original Date Announced

    September 29, 2026

    The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a notice in the Federal Register revising the organization and functions of its Office of the General Counsel (OGC) to officially create the Unaccompanied Alien Children Legal Representation Division (UACLRD). Under the reorganized structure, UACLRD is tasked with providing direct legal services to unaccompanied noncitizen children in immigration proceedings, formally establishing an in-house team of federal attorneys following the administration's termination of funding for independent nonprofit legal service networks.

    Trump 2.0 [ID #2442]

    2026.09.29 HHS Notice 91 FR 61422 - Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority
  2. Effective Date

    September 29, 2026

Current Status

None

Original Trump Policy Status

Status: Final/Actual
Trump Administration Actions: Agency Directive Change in Practice
Agencies Affected: HHS

Commentary

  • 2026.10.06 LA Times - Trump administration to assign government lawyers to migrant kids’ cases, worrying advocates

    The Trump administration states that the HHS unit representing unaccompanied children will operate independently from agencies managing custody, but advocates warn that having government-employed lawyers represent children against federal prosecutors creates an inherent conflict of interest and places minors at greater risk of deportation.

    Go to article

Documents

Trump-Era Policy Documents

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