New York Allocates Funds for Immigrant Children’s Legal Costs
Governor Kathy Hochul announced that New York State will invest over $7 million to address the legal needs of more than 1,000 unaccompanied immigrant children throughout the state.
At a press event in Manhattan, Hochul, alongside Mayor Zoran Mamdani and Attorney General Letitia James, revealed that the funding of $7.25 million is aimed at assisting around 1,400 children embroiled in deportation cases, including approximately 250 currently in custody.
This funding initiative comes in response to the Trump administration’s decision to terminate contracts in July with a network of roughly 100 organizations dedicated to supporting immigrant children nationwide.
Hochul expressed her frustration, stating, “It’s cruel. It’s illegal. And for nearly 20 years, our federal government has mandated that these children must be safeguarded when they enter at the border.” She referred to the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, which was enacted during George W. Bush’s presidency, stipulating that the government must provide legal representation for children facing deportation.
Generally, when children enter the U.S. alone, they are placed in federal custody and subsequently assigned to adult sponsors—often their parents, relatives, or family friends—by the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
In May, Trump tightened regulations regarding the sponsorship of undocumented immigrants after reports surfaced that the ORR had lost track of around 320,000 children during Joe Biden’s administration.
Mamdani emphasized that “New York state will not sit back as the federal government neglects migrant children and exposes them to potential harm and deportation.”
Hochul’s announcement aligns with her efforts against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, particularly as she prepares for her re-election campaign against Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman this November.
The Democratic governor has also pressured counties to comply with sanctuary laws supported by her party and has accused federal immigration authorities of overstepping their bounds.
