New York will provide over $7 million in funding to cover legal expenses for approximately 1,400 unaccompanied migrant children facing removal proceedings. The announcement was made by Governor Kathy Hochul, who stated the $7.25 million will support children, including about 250 currently in detention.
The governor criticized the federal government's stance on the issue, stating, "It’s cruel. It’s illegal. And for nearly two decades our federal government required by law that these children be protected when they cross the border." She referenced the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, passed during President George W. Bush's administration, which mandates legal representation for children in deportation proceedings.
Unaccompanied children entering the U.S. are typically placed under the care of a sponsor, often a family member, by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. However, the Trump administration had previously tightened regulations regarding sponsors. Reports indicate that under the Biden administration, the ORR lost track of a significant number of children.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who appeared alongside Governor Hochul, stated, "New York refuses to stand idly by while the federal government abandons immigrant children and leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and deportation."
The governor's announcement comes as she faces Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman in her November re-election campaign. Hochul has previously taken stances against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, asserting that federal immigration authorities have overstepped their bounds and urging counties to comply with sanctuary laws.