Court Instructs Minor to File Asylum Application

A 1-year-old child appeared in immigration court in Arizona without legal representation and was instructed to file an asylum application before the next hearing to avoid deportation. An attorney from the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) did not intervene during the proceedings, despite concerns raised in court filings regarding the appropriateness of asking an unrepresented child to undertake such a complex task. This situation arises following the termination of a contract between the federal government and a network of nonprofits that previously provided legal services to unaccompanied minors. Since the contract ended on July 31, many minors have appeared in court without representation. The nonprofits have requested judicial review of the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) compliance with legal obligations regarding representation for these children. HHS stated that it is assessing the representation status of the children and is conducting legal consultations as needed. Concerns have been raised about the adequacy of legal representation provided by USCRI attorneys during court proceedings.