Michigan attorney speaks on federal cuts to legal service funding for migrant children
"Eight hundred children will lose their advocates, they will lose counsel, they will lose they will have to essentially proceed on their own in immigration court," said Ruby Robinson, senior managing attorney for the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC).
Robinson says this funding allows his team to provide comprehensive legal care for the hundreds of children who go through the process daily, including paying for the lawyers who advocate for them.
"One of the main reasons for these services is to prevent exploitation and trafficking and to ensure that children have access to the critical supports and services, and by taking away counsel, it undermines those efforts," said Robinson.
Robinson says many of the children in the process do not read or speak English or are too young to even communicate at all, leaving them vulnerable to faster deportation.
"It is cruel to require a child to participate in an immigration process by themselves, to be held to the same standard as an adult or an adult with counsel," said Robinson.
While MIRC does have donor support, Robinson says federal funding accounts for nearly 80 percent of its budget.
"We've been successful, in raising money, but it's not at the scale that we need to be able to preserve representation and assistance to the children who are here in Michigan and certainly nationally," said Robinson.
Robinson says his team is now focused on helping its fellow community organizations weather these changes and find ways to support those who need them.
"We will do our best to advocate as long as we can, with the staffing that we have and the funding that we have for our clients," said Robinson.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
12 minutes ago
- New York Post
Trump's White House merch room thrust into spotlight after Zelensky pictured with ‘4 more years' hat
WASHINGTON — President Trump's photographed offer of a '4 More Years' hat to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Monday cast a global focus onto one of his lesser-known White House remodels: turning a room off the Oval Office into a free-of-charge gift shop. The merch room was previously a private study — which also saw action as President Bill Clinton's love den with intern Monica Lewinsky. A treasure trove now awaits the president's biggest supporters and visiting heads of state. 'Some people leave with bags of stuff,' a source told The Post. 4 A behind-the-scenes photo of Trump showing Presidents Zelensky and Macron his merch room this week. Margo Martin/X Coveted souvenirs include Trump's golden 'Never Surrender' high-top sneakers, which launched last year for $399, and custom-made ties by Stefano Ricci, whose standard offerings retail starting at $330 at Neiman Marcus, sources said. Trump 'loves being generous' with visitors, said one person who has been to the room. 'Fellas, come on, grab what you want. It's OK,' Trump told aides to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev following a peace deal signing with Armenia on Aug. 8. The room serves multiple functions, including playing to Trump's strengths as a host and fulfilling the branding and hospitality executive's desire for a lasting positive impression. It also serves as a polite way to end Oval Office encounters, turning potentially curt send-offs into a memorable moment. 4 President Trump shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to his White House merch room Monday. Daniel Torok/White House/UPI/Shutterstock Although a prior iteration existed during Trump's first presidency, this second-term upgrade features a broad inventory. A recent visitor recalled neat shelves of photobooks, candles, golf balls and tees, travel mugs, cufflinks, enameled boxes, small dishes and hand towels. Another source spotted Bibles autographed by the president. The West Wing room, reputedly used by former President Joe Biden to rest, also has special boxes of M&Ms that the candy maker Mars produces with the signatures of chief executives from both parties. Visitors generally receive a paper bag adorned with the presidential seal to stuff with keepsakes. 4 Trump presented Zelensky and other European leaders with symbolic keys to the White House, shown in wooden boxes on the Resolute Desk, ahead of the gift-room visit. Daniel Torok/White House/UPI/Shutterstock Trump has made substantial changes to the White House grounds since reclaiming power in January, adding dramatic golden refreshes for the Oval Office and Cabinet Room, enormous flagpoles to the lawns, a paved patio for the Rose Garden and fresh marble for the Palm Room linking the West Wing to the main White House. He plans to turn the East Wing into a ballroom. The relatively small gift room's diplomatic utility was on display this month when Aliyev visited — as Trump asserted US leadership in a conflict between two nations historically in Russia's sphere of influence. Trump picked out a scarf for Aliyev's wife, handing it to the strongman, and instructed aides to make sure that a symbolic 'Key to the White House' that he personally designed was put into Aliyev's swag bag, as the guest thanked him for the gifts. Trump showed Aliyev, who does not have free elections, a 'Trump 2028' hat, telling this counterpart, 'You know, you're not allowed to run [for a third term]. I'm 28 points higher than anybody. Everyone wants me to run.' 'Including us!' added Aliyev, who inherited his position from his father. 'This drives them crazy,' Trump said, turning slightly to point out the same hat he showed Zelensky. 'Look, '4 More Years.' They go, '4 More Years!' So it's sorta cool.' 4 Trump previously took Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to the room and picked out a scarf for his wife. Getty Images Stacks of red 'Make America Great Again' hats are also available, as are newer versions that say 'Gulf of America' and 'Trump Was Right About Everything.' French President Emmanuel Macron, who joined Zelensky in the room, clutched his recently received 'Key to the White House,' contained in a wooden display box that had moments earlier been on the Oval Office's Resolute Desk. What, if anything, Zelensky chose to take was unclear to The Post's sources, but he also left the White House with a revived relationship with Trump and pledges for US and European backing for 'security guarantees' against further Russian invasions if peace is achieved.
Chicago Tribune
12 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
‘South Park' targets federal takeover of Washington, DC, police in latest episode
NEW YORK — 'South Park' is continuing its cartoon assault on the Trump administration, with an episode on Wednesday that addresses the federal takeover of Washington, D.C.'s police department. A 20-second promo of this week's episode released by Comedy Central depicts the show's recurring character 'Towelie' — an anthropomorphic towel — riding in a bus past the U.S. Supreme Court building and White House, where armed troops are patrolling. A tank rolls by in front of the White House. 'This seems like a perfect place for a towel,' the character says upon disembarking the bus. 'South Park' creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone recently signed a reported $1.5 billion, five-year deal with Paramount for new episodes and streaming rights to their series, which began its 27th season this summer. Their second episode of the season depicted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shooting puppies, a reference to a story from the former South Dakota governor's biography where she said she killed the family dog because of its behavioral issues. Noem is also depicted being trailed by a team of beauticians having to reattach her face. 'It's so easy to make fun of women for how they look,' Noem told Glenn Beck in response to the episode. The season premiere mocked President Donald Trump's body in a raunchy manner and depicted him sharing a bed with Satan. The White House has dismissed 'South Park' as a fourth-rate, no-longer-relevant show. But it has been attracting attention; Comedy Central said the Noem episode had the highest audience share in the show's history, a reference to the percentage of people with televisions on watching the cartoon.
The Hill
12 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump purchased $100M+ in bonds since January, filings show
President Trump purchased over $100 million worth of bonds since he took office for his second term in January, according to Office of Government Ethics filings. The filings, released on Tuesday night, showed that the president began purchasing on Jan. 21, the day after the inauguration, and purchased over 30 more corporate and municipal bonds in that month. Through Aug. 1, he made nearly 700 bond purchases. The filing is a periodic report released after the Office of Government Ethics reviewed the transactions and certified them as in compliance, including getting Trump's signature, according to a senior White House official. The official said that the president has no role in managing his investments, and they are managed by a third-party financial institution. The official added that neither Trump nor any member of family had direct input into the investments and all decisions are made by independent management. The bonds Trump purchased, according to the filings, was sold by entities like Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, a health facility in Alachua County, Fla., a Michigan public power agency and a Johnson County, Kan., park and recreation office. Bonds were also purchased from some major companies, including Home Depot, T-Mobile USA, UnitedHealth Group, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley and Qualcomm. The filing does not give a specific amount of each purchase, but the lowest range from $50,001 to $100,000 and the largest range from $500,001 to $1 million. Trump has been criticized for mingling politics with his business interests throughout his second term, with ethics watchdogs and Democrats accusing him of profiting off of the presidency through ventures like the launch of a cryptocurrency, Trump-branded sneakers and Bibles and a line of fragrances.
