U.N. Slams Legal Aid Cuts for Migrant Children in U.S.

U.N. human rights experts criticized the Trump administration for cutting legal aid to unaccompanied migrant children in U.S. immigration proceedings. They argued that this violated children's rights and international law. The White House defended its actions, while a federal judge temporarily restored funding after providers sued.

U.N. human rights experts have issued a scathing critique of the Trump administration's decision to eliminate legal aid for unaccompanied children involved in U.S. immigration proceedings, calling the move a significant violation of children's rights. This condemnation follows U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk's recent appeal to the administration to uphold individual rights and international law.

Independent experts appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council expressed concern that children are being denied the right to legal representation, forcing them to handle complex immigration procedures alone. In response, the White House dismissed these experts' concerns as biased, asserting that it has sought to locate children allegedly smuggled into the country by the previous administration.

Despite the White House's defense, the U.S. Department of the Interior's directive to halt funding for legal service providers was challenged in court, leading a federal judge to temporarily reinstate funding. The U.N. critics have condemned the administration's deportation efforts as unlawful, especially in cases involving vulnerable children susceptible to human trafficking.

(With inputs from agencies.)