Press Release: Unaccompanied Children Program Terminated
Frank Garcia, Executive Director of Immigration Counseling Service (ICS) issued the following statement in response to an immediate, near-total termination of services under the Unaccompanied Children Program:
“On March 21, 2025, the U.S. Government continued its cruel attacks on migrant children by issuing a termination order for the Unaccompanied Children Program, immediately ending legal representation for 26,000 children navigating the immigration system without a parent or guardian nationwide.
“As Oregon’s sole legal service provider under this program, ICS has protected children from trafficking, abuse and exploitation; helped kids navigate a confusing and often tumultuous legal process; and reunified separated families for nearly 20 years. The abrupt termination of this life-saving program throws the futures of vulnerable kids into question, and they may face deportation to dangerous and even deadly conditions.
“The Unaccompanied Children Program is the result of decades of bipartisan cooperation to ensure that children who have been trafficked or are at risk of trafficking have child-friendly legal representatives—like those at ICS—protecting their legal rights and interests. Particularly at a time when the administration is expediting deportations at an alarming rate, legal services for vulnerable children are more crucial than ever.
“The decision to end these services undermines due process and the constitutional rights of vulnerable children. This action puts migrant children who have already experienced severe trauma at risk for further irreparable harm or exploitation. We urge the administration to reverse this decision and rapidly restore these essential services so that we can continue supporting the wellbeing of children.”
Contact your representatives today and tell them to reinstate funding for unaccompanied children immediately: tinyurl.com/SaveUCP
Learn more about unaccompanied children here: https://www.ics-law.org/services/unaccompanied-children
Support ICS and unaccompanied children by donating today: https://www.ics-law.org/donate-today
Share resources to know and defend your constitutional rights: https://www.ics-law.org/resources