HOUSTON, Texas– The Galveston-Houston Immigrant Representation Project (GHIRP) has filed a lawsuit against federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, its Office of Refugee Resettlement, and the U.S. Department of the Interior, over legal services for unaccompanied immigrant children.
The lawsuit was filed following the non-renewal of a federal contract that funds nonprofits like GHIRP, which provide essential legal services to unaccompanied children.
GHIRP, based in Texas, joins several other nonprofits in seeking judicial intervention to restore funding and ensure these vital services remain available to vulnerable children.
Unaccompanied children often rely on these legal services to navigate the complex immigration system and to protect against potential trafficking and abuse.
The federal contract previously funded a network of nonprofit organizations dedicated to providing legal aid to unaccompanied minors.
The organizations involved in the lawsuit emphasize the importance of these services in upholding the rights and wellbeing of immigrant children.