Washington, DC—Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) commends Representative Zoe Lofgren’s introduction today of the Fair Day in Court for Kids Act – legislation that would guarantee legal counsel for all unaccompanied children in immigration proceedings.
Passage of this legislation has never been more critical in light of ongoing efforts by the administration since March 2025 to hinder the delivery of legal services to unaccompanied children as mandated under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVRPA) of 2008. Senator Mazie Hirono introduced the bill in the Senate in April 2025.
“Legal representation is a front-line safeguard for unaccompanied children that can protect them from harm they may encounter as uniquely vulnerable children, including human trafficking and exploitation,” said KIND President Wendy Young. “We appreciate Representative Lofgren’s longtime support of unaccompanied children and her understanding that legal representation strengthens the efficiency of the enormously backlogged immigration court system while advancing a fair legal process grounded in due process for children navigating complex and adversarial immigration proceedings.”
Unaccompanied children’s age, developmental stage, and communication and comprehension constraints make it virtually impossible for them to effectively navigate the immigration system without an attorney at their side. The Fair Day in Court for Kids Act would ensure that no two or three-year old ever again faces immigration court alone.
Attorneys are often unaccompanied children’s strongest line of defense against human trafficking and exploitation and are vital to unaccompanied children’s comprehension of and compliance with immigration requirements and processes. Attorneys can then report mistreatment to relevant authorities as appropriate, guide children’s cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators and address urgent safety needs. Children with attorneys overwhelmingly satisfy immigration court hearing requirements. From FY 2005 through June FY 2019—the most recent relevant data available—98 percent of children with lawyers appeared for their hearings, helping ensure that these children remain in the U.S immigration system and in contact with the Executive Office for Immigration Review and Immigration and Customs Enforcement as appropriate.
Attorneys for unaccompanied children are essential to driving efficiencies that are needed more than ever in the face of the immigration court system’s over 3 million case backlog.
The administration attempted in March 2025 to terminate legal representation to 26,000 unaccompanied children and has recently stated that it would not release back payments to the nonprofit organizations that are contracted to perform this work until the groups provide new, additional information that is not required under the contract and could violate client confidentiality obligations. Members of Congress expressed their concerns in a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. in late May.
KIND calls for swift passage of this legislation; thousands of vulnerable children’s safety and well-being depend on it.
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Media Contact: Megan McKenna, mmckenna@supportkind.org, 202-631-9990