Full Breakdown
$150 Million Contract to Represent Unaccompanied Migrant Children Awarded to Texas Firm with Trump Ties
8/7/2026, 5:02:11 AM
Award of the Contract
The Federal Register notice shows the award bypassed competitive bidding and offers no justification for the deviation.
Background and Context
The 2008 Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act requires legal representation for unaccompanied minors in custody. A network of roughly 100 nonprofit providers, coordinated by the Acacia Center for Justice, served more than 20,000 children until its contract expired on July 31. HHS halted payments in November after the providers refused to surrender confidential client data, leaving an estimated $65 million in unpaid fees.
Scope of the New Deal
- Funding: $150 million for one year.
- Population Covered: About 1,800 children in government shelters; the contract does not address the roughly 22,000 children living outside shelters with family sponsors.
- Firm Profile: Burke Law Group lists 26 employees across eight offices. Of the 24 attorneys on its website, only two list immigration or asylum as a practice area; the rest focus on corporate, environmental, and regulatory matters. Founder Marcella Burke served in the EPA and the Department of the Interior during the first Trump administration; partner Jeffrey Hall is an EPA assistant administrator.
Official Statements & Responses
HHS declined comment. The contract notice describes the arrangement as a “single source cooperative agreement” but does not explain why standard bidding rules were set aside. Burke Law Group did not respond.
Criticism and Opposition
Legal-aid organizations argue the firm lacks the requisite immigration expertise and child-welfare experience.
On-the-Ground Reports
Courtrooms in Chicago and Houston saw attorneys claim to represent children after the Office of Refugee Resettlement asked them to “appear on behalf” of minors lacking counsel. Judges rejected the unscheduled participation, noting the children already had representation. Attorneys from the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants and the Galveston Houston Immigrant Representation Project reported similar confusion in multiple jurisdictions.
Data and Statistics
- Contract value: $150 million.
- Children in shelters covered: ~1,800.
- Children outside shelters: ~22,000.
- Attorneys at Burke Law Group: 24 listed; 2 with immigration experience.
- Employees: 26 across eight offices.
- Unpaid prior contract: $65 million owed to the former nonprofit network.
Why It Matters
Replacing a nationwide consortium of experienced nonprofit lawyers with a single firm that has limited immigration experience raises concerns about the quality of representation for a vulnerable population. Legal scholars warn that reduced preparation time and limited counsel experience could increase the likelihood of expedited removals. The gap between the new contract’s start date and the expiration of the previous agreement leaves thousands of children without guaranteed legal advocacy during a critical period.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It really does forebode a situation where children are going to get no meaningful due process, no meaningful day in court. We cannot have a random law firm entrusted to take care of children,” — Michael Lukens, executive director, Amica Center for Immigrant Rights
- “The administration doesn’t get to manufacture a crisis, offer an unacceptable ‘fix,’ and then claim it’s solved,” — Acacia, executive director
