Washington, DC – Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) warns that the Texas Supreme Court’s June 26 ruling temporarily blocking funding for Harris County’s Immigrant Legal Defense Fund (ILSF) threatens access to legal services that promote fair and efficient court proceedings, protect vulnerable children, and strengthen community well-being.
“KIND is deeply concerned by efforts to restrict access to legal representation for unaccompanied children facing deportation proceedings in Harris County, Texas,” KIND President Wendy Young shared. “Legal representation helps ensure that court proceedings are orderly, efficient, and fair. It promotes compliance with legal processes, strengthens trust in public institutions, and helps vulnerable children and families navigate a complex legal system while keeping communities safe and informed.”
Harris County is home to one of the nation’s largest populations of unaccompanied children and has received thousands of children released from federal custody over the past decade.
The decision threatens legal services for approximately 80 KIND clients who rely on funding from Harris County’s Immigrant Legal Services Fund.
“Legal representation plays an especially important role for unaccompanied children, many of whom have survived violence, exploitation, trafficking, or other serious harms,” Young added.” Access to counsel helps identify children who may be at risk, connects them with appropriate protections, and promotes child safety while supporting the integrity of the legal process. Blocking funding for Harris County’s Immigrant Legal Defense Fund will jeopardize these critical safeguards for some of the community’s most vulnerable children.”
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For more information, please contact Brenda Bowser Soder at bbowsersoder@supportkind.org