- Burke Law Group declined a proposed federal contract worth up to one hundred fifty million dollars for migrant minor representation.
- Lawmakers demanded transparency regarding selection after questioning the firm’s lack of immigration experience and political connections.
- The federal government transitioned legal services to USCRI following the expiration of the Acacia Center for Justice agreement.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement said Wednesday that Burke Law Group declined a proposed federal arrangement worth up to $150 million to represent unaccompanied migrant children. The Houston firm received no grant, the agency said.
ORR confirmed the withdrawal in a statement issued August 12, 2026, after lawmakers and immigrant advocacy groups scrutinized the firm’s immigration experience and the proposed no-bid selection. The arrangement would have taken the form of a one-year, single-source cooperative agreement.
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“Burke Law Group has declined to apply and has not been awarded any grant. . ORR is committed to ensuring every [unaccompanied child] has legal representation in immigration court, which is why ORR began using the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) to provide legal representation to all [unaccompanied children] in ORR care on August 5th.”
The firm said it had considered seeking only part of the proposed amount. In a social-media statement posted August 11, 2026, it described the approach as an effort to address a services gap.
“We were approached by the Trump administration to fill a gap in legal services and we were considering how we might help. . [The firm was] only considering applying for a small portion” of the $150 million total.
Marcella Burke founded the boutique practice, which specializes in environmental and commercial litigation. She held senior legal positions during the first Trump administration at the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Interior.
Senators seek records on how the proposed provider was chosen
Senators Alex Padilla, D-Calif., and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., joined 14 colleagues in writing to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on August 12. The lawmakers demanded transparency about the proposed selection.
Their letter questioned why officials bypassed competitive bidding despite the firm’s political connections and urged the department to select attorneys with child-welfare and immigration experience.
“Given the political connections between the firm’s senior leadership and the Trump Administration, we have concerns about why you sidestepped the competitive bidding process to select this firm to provide legal services for children. Children deserve competent representation by attorneys who practice at the intersection of child welfare and federal immigration law.”
The proposed agreement emerged after the government’s long-running arrangement with the Acacia Center for Justice expired on July 31, 2026. Acacia operates as a nonprofit network.
The administration reportedly allowed that contract to lapse after Acacia refused to transfer sensitive case data that could have been protected by attorney-client privilege. The dispute left the federal government seeking another way to provide representation.
A separate $158 million award put another provider in the spotlight
On August 7, 2026, the administration awarded a separate $158 million contract to Our Rescue, formerly known as Operation Underground Railroad. Tim Ballard founded the anti-trafficking organization.
The award covered similar legal services. Advocates have argued that private firms and anti-trafficking organizations may not have the immigration expertise of established nonprofit legal networks.
The provider changes come during a broader mass deportation campaign led by the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Immigration advocates say the shifts could weaken due-process protections for minors facing immigration proceedings.
The children are spread across shelters and sponsor homes, making access to counsel uneven.
| Population or measure | Approximate figure |
|---|---|
| Unaccompanied children in the system | 24,000 |
| Children in federal shelters | 1,800 |
| Children living with sponsors or relatives | 22,000 |
| Unrepresented in immigration-court hearings | Nearly 60% |
Nearly 60% of unaccompanied minors currently lack lawyers at their hearings, based on the figures cited in the material. Representation can affect how children present claims and respond to immigration-court proceedings.
ORR said its USCRI arrangement covers every unaccompanied child in ORR care. That statement addresses the agency’s custody population, while thousands of other children live with sponsors or relatives.
New York commits $7.25 million for children in the state
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on August 12 that the state would allocate $7.25 million for legal services for the 1,400 unaccompanied minors currently in New York.
The state funding followed the federal provider changes. It gives children in New York a separate source of representation as the federal contracting picture shifts.
A Federal Register notice dated August 4, 2026, publicly described the government’s intent to award the proposed firm contract. The notice was later withdrawn, and ORR said no grant went to the firm.
The federal agency’s August 5th use of USCRI remains the arrangement ORR identified for children in its care. The proposed one-year agreement never reached an award.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.
