A Texas-based law firm, Burke Law Group, has withdrawn its bid for a $150 million federal contract intended to provide legal representation to unaccompanied migrant children. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the firm's withdrawal in a court filing on Thursday.
The contract, aimed at offering legal orientation, consultation, and attorney-of-record representation services for children in immigration proceedings while they are in government custody, drew scrutiny from immigrant advocacy groups. These organizations questioned the firm's qualifications and expressed concerns about its potential connections to the previous administration.
Burke Law Group, which has 26 employees across eight offices, initially did not list immigration law as a primary practice area on its website, though it was later added. One of the firm's founders, Marcella Burke, is a former Trump appointee to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Interior. Another former employee and founding partner, Jeffrey Hall, also served in the EPA during the Trump administration.
Immigrant advocacy groups, including the Amika Center for Immigrant Rights, voiced opposition to the contract award. Michael Lukens, executive director of the Amika Center, stated that it was unusual for HHS to consider a firm perceived as unqualified over established nonprofits that have been providing similar services for nearly two decades.
In December 2023, the Acacia Center for Justice, another advocacy group, became the prime contract holder for the Unaccompanied Children Program, managing subcontracts with over 100 service providers. These providers represent more than 20,000 unaccompanied migrant children. An HHS spokesperson indicated that Acacia had declined a new federal contract offer, which required them to provide client-level data and bill HHS upon submitting applications for immigration relief. Legal services providers like Acacia have stated that the demand for client-level data infringes upon confidentiality and legal privilege.
During the Trump administration, organizations like Acacia reported that unaccompanied children and their sponsors were targets of immigration enforcement actions. In June, federal agents visited the offices of several non-profit organizations that provide legal services to these children.
HHS stated in the court declaration that it is currently in the final stages of negotiations with another potential contractor to fulfill the services.