Trump Administration Awards No-Bid Contract to Controversial Anti-Trafficking Group for Migrant Children

On August 7, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a no-bid award to the Utah-based nonprofit Our Rescue to provide legal services for unaccompanied migrant children in the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). The notice lists a potential value of $158 million; other filings cite $244,034,658. The agreement runs for six months, from August 7 to February 6, 2027, with an option to extend.

NPR

The award follows the expiration of a multi-year contract that had funded a network of nearly 100 legal nonprofits, including the Acacia Center for Justice. The Acacia contract was terminated after the Trump administration stopped paying the group in November, citing a new requirement that providers turn over confidential client information, leaving an estimated 26,000 children without representation.

The American Prospect

In the weeks after the Acacia termination, the administration announced a separate $150 million contract for the Texas-based Burke Law Group. The firm later withdrew after media scrutiny of its limited immigration experience and its founders’ ties to the first Trump administration.

The American Prospect

• Contract value: $158 million vs. $244,034,658 vs. “at least $158 million”.

NOTUS

• Children in HHS custody: about 1,800 in June; the agency cares for roughly 24,000 unaccompanied minors nationwide.

NPR

• Our Rescue finances: 2025 Form 990 shows assets of $36.9 million; the new award is roughly seven times that amount.

The American Prospect

• Legal capacity: Burke Law Group lists 24 attorneys, only two with immigration or asylum expertise.

NPR

ORR officials reiterated the agency’s statutory duty to ensure every unaccompanied child has legal representation in immigration court.

NPR

Our Rescue CEO Derek Benner, a former senior official at Homeland Security Investigations, issued a statement emphasizing the organization’s mission to protect vulnerable children and its readiness to apply its “experience” to legal representation.

The Independent

Burke Law Group posted on X that it was approached by the administration to fill a service gap but ultimately decided not to apply for a grant. An ORR spokesperson confirmed the firm’s decision.

NPR

Acacia, which declined a new contract, warned that the required turnover of confidential client data would violate both legal ethics and its moral values.

The American Prospect

• Contract amount: NPR reports a $158 million award; Prospect cites a $244,034,658 figure; Independent mentions “at least $158 million” and a possible $244 million ceiling. The exact final amount remains unclear.

NOTUS

• Scope of services: The award specifies legal services for children in ORR care, but neither Our Rescue nor the agency has disclosed how many minors will be represented or the specific legal tasks to be performed.

NOTUS

• July 31: Expiration of the nearly-100-nonprofit contract that had funded legal aid for unaccompanied children.

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• August 7: HHS awards a no-bid contract to Our Rescue (potentially up to $244 million).

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• August 6: U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín orders the administration to pay $65 million owed to nonprofits for prior services.

The American Prospect

• February 6, 2027: Scheduled end date of the Our Rescue contract, pending possible extension.

NOTUS