Key facts
- Burke Law Group, a Texas firm with ties to the Trump administration, declined a $150 million federal contract to represent migrant children.
A small Texas law firm, Burke Law Group, with connections to the Trump administration has declined a $150 million federal contract to represent unaccompanied migrant children. The firm's founder previously served in the Trump administration, and other associates have ties to conservative legal circles.
The refusal of a major law firm to take on the representation of migrant children raises concerns about the government's ability to provide adequate legal counsel to vulnerable minors, particularly as deportation campaigns intensify and existing contracts expire.
A Texas-based law firm with connections to the Trump administration has declined a significant federal contract to represent unaccompanied migrant children. Burke Law Group was offered $150 million to provide legal services, but the firm stated it had considered applying for only a "small portion" and ultimately decided against it, without providing a specific reason.
The federal Office of Refugee Resettlement, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, confirmed that Burke Law Group declined to apply for the grant. This comes as the administration faces scrutiny over its mass deportation efforts and the expiration of a key contract with nearly 100 providers who previously worked with immigrant children.
Burke Law Group's founder, Marcella Burke, previously served in the Trump administration as a lawyer for the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Interior. Other associates of the firm have also been linked to conservative legal circles and Trump appointees.
Unaccompanied migrant children are currently being represented by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants under a temporary $20 million contract that expires at the end of the year. Legal service providers whose previous contracts expired at the end of July have reported payment delays, with some still owed for services rendered. Attorneys for these providers have criticized the administration's interim solutions as insufficient.
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