Trump-Linked Law Firm Declines Contract to Represent Migrant Children

A small Texas law firm with ties to the Trump administration has refused a significant federal contract intended to provide legal representation for migrant children arriving in the United States alone. Burke Law Group, based in Houston, was initially slated to receive a $150 million contract, despite possessing limited experience in immigration law.

The government's plan to award the contract came as the White House intensified its large-scale deportation campaigns. This move also followed the expiration of a contract with nearly 100 providers who had been serving these immigrant children. The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which oversees such contracts, confirmed that Burke Law Group declined to submit an application and was not awarded any grant, offering no further explanation.

Burke Law Group stated in a brief social media release that it had considered applying for a portion of the contract but did not elaborate on its reasons for ultimately declining. The firm's founder, Marcella Burke, previously worked for the EPA and the Department of the Interior during Trump's first term. Key team members include Justin Shubow, a proponent of Trump's architectural policies, and conservative scholar Ilya Shapiro.

Migrant children detained after entering the U.S. without parents are typically placed under federal care. Legal protections, including the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, mandate that the government provide legal representation to children undergoing deportation proceedings. Currently, approximately 1,800 children are housed in shelters, with another 22,000 living with sponsors and family while facing deportation.

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Burke Law Group declined to submit an application and no grant has been awarded to them.