HHS awards $150 M to Texas firm for migrant children representation

The federal government is awarding a $150 million contract to a small Texas law firm with ties to the Trump administration to provide legal services for unaccompanied migrant children in government custody, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from immigrant rights advocates who warn it could jeopardize the children's legal protections. The Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement announced its intent to award the contract to Houston-based Burke Law Group, a firm that specializes in environmental and corporate law but has little apparent experience in immigration or child welfare law.

The contract, set to begin on August 15, follows the expiration of a previous agreement with the Acacia Center for Justice, a nonprofit that coordinated legal services through a network of nearly 100 providers. That contract expired on August 1, creating a gap in guaranteed legal representation. While some nonprofit groups have said they will continue to provide services pro bono, advocates express deep concern about the transition. The new contract with Burke Law Group is a single-source award, meaning it was granted without a competitive bidding process.