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The United States is forcing four-year-olds to defend themselves in court [1]

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Date: 2025-04-22

It is easy to become inured to the constant stream of horrific stories about the lawless and cruel events that the fascist Trump regime is foisting upon the world. However, every once in a while, one of those stories rises above (or perhaps sinks below) the others in the depths of this regime’s depravity.

This story is one of those. My first reaction was disbelief; surely this must be an Onion satire or another of those partially true stories only loosely associated with facts. However, the details of the story appear to be true, based on corroborating sources. The facts are this: US officials are forcing children as young as four years old to represent themselves in court as they face deportation hearings.

The circumstances around this development are based on the fact that undocumented immigrants are not guaranteed free legal representation in deportation proceedings, unlike those facing criminal charges, where the right to counsel is generally protected. However, they do have the right to hire an attorney, and various non-profit organizations and volunteer lawyers offer free or reduced-cost legal assistance.

Here’s where the cruelty of the Trump regime comes into play. On March 21st, 2025, the Trump administration terminated part of a $200 million contract that funds attorneys and other legal services for unaccompanied children who arrived in the United States without parents or legal guardians. This has left these children, some as young as four years old, to fend for themselves in front of the court. Without representation, the outcome in most of these cases is that the children are deported.

Non-profit legal groups representing these children are scrambling to find new funding sources and a federal judge recently ordered the Trump administration to temporarily restore the contract, but funding still isn’t flowing to legal providers. In the meantime, these children continue to be paraded in front of the court in a legal and moral travesty. Every day, I believe that there is no way the Trump regime could outdo itself in its turpitude, and every day they continue to plumb new lows.

*** If you’d like to help, consider donating to organizations providing legal defense for immigrant children, consider organizations like Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC), and the Safe Passage Project. These groups offer a range of services, including legal representation, education, and assistance with family reunification.***

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