Alex Padilla: “There's got to be a better way.”

Attempts by the Administration to expedite the deportation of these children by limiting their access to immigration counsel deserves urgent oversight.

We request that you immediately rescind the July 2026 memo and reinstate the 2020 and 2024 guidance.

For these reasons and our deep concern regarding the treatment and protection of unaccompanied children, we call for an independent, timely, transparent, and public investigation at both the state and federal level into this award.

The firm appears to have little relevant experience with the legal and practical challenges that children face, raising serious concerns about the firm’s ability to provide not just representation but adequate, zealous representation.