California Attorney General Rob Bonta has spearheaded a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief opposing the Trump Administration’s decision to cut funding for legal services provided to unaccompanied immigrant children. The case, Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto, et al. vs. United States Department of Health and Human Services, et al., is currently before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Attorney General Bonta emphasized the importance of protecting immigrant children’s rights, stating: “As the People’s Attorney I am committed to protecting the safety, wellbeing, and rights of all children – including immigrant children – and ensuring that they have access to legal representation.”
The coalition argues that terminating federal funding for legal representation compromises the safety and future opportunities of these children. They cite fiscal year 2024 data showing California received approximately 10,800 unaccompanied children released to sponsors—11 percent of all such releases nationally.
The amicus brief urges the court to affirm a preliminary injunction issued by a district court against the funding termination. The attorneys general argue that federal law supports providing legal representation to unaccompanied minors in immigration proceedings. Without it, gaps in service provision could lead to staffing shortfalls and long-lasting harm for these children.
In addition to California, states participating in this effort include Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
