Trump Admin Axes Legal Aid for Disabled Migrants
Termination of NQRP leaves mentally incompetent migrants without attorneys, prompting outrage and a federal judge’s demand for answers.
WASHINGTON – The Trump administration’s abrupt cancellation of the National Qualified Representative Program (NQRP) has left undocumented migrants deemed mentally incompetent without legal representation, sparking outrage from immigrant rights groups. The program, which connected vulnerable migrants with attorneys during removal or bond proceedings, was terminated on April 25, as part of broader moves to slash federal aid for immigrants.
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On Monday, U.S. District Judge Amir Ali grilled the Justice Department over the decision, demanding a status report by Wednesday on whether these migrants are receiving any legal support. The NQRP, established in 2013, provided attorneys—known as qualified representatives—for migrants unable to represent themselves in 47 states. (Arizona, California, and Washington are covered by a separate mandate from the 2013 Franco-Gonzalez v. Holder settlement.)
The Justice Department, represented by attorney Sarah Welch, argued the case is merely a contract dispute, suggesting it belongs in the Court of Federal Claims, where rights groups could only seek monetary damages, not reinstatement of the program. Welch claimed the government is developing a new system where immigration judges can appoint attorneys, but those lawyers would go unpaid—a move critics say is unsustainable.
Ivano Ventresca, representing groups like American Gateways and the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network, told the court the termination has created chaos. In one case, an immigration judge, unaware of the program’s end, ordered counsel for a migrant on April 29, but no attorney was available. Ventresca warned that attorneys now face an “untenable choice”: withdraw from cases or work for free.
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The Acacia Center for Justice, which managed the program’s contracts, subcontracted with plaintiff groups to provide legal aid. Without the NQRP, immigration judges lack a mechanism to appoint counsel, leaving mentally incompetent migrants defenseless in court.
“The government’s action in cutting funding for court-appointed counsel for people not competent to represent themselves in immigration court is not just heartless and cruel, but also discriminatory against people with disabilities. Without the assistance of attorneys, people will suffer in detention while their cases languish in legal limbo,” said Laura Lunn, director of advocacy & litigation, Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network.
Judge Ali, a Biden appointee, expressed skepticism about the Justice Department’s position, noting they failed to provide a detailed record justifying the cancellation. He questioned Welch’s comparison to the Supreme Court’s April 2025 ruling in Department of Education v. California, where teacher training grants were frozen, arguing the situations differ significantly.
Rights groups are seeking a preliminary injunction to restore the program, warning that its absence violates migrants’ due process rights. As the legal battle unfolds, advocates fear thousands of vulnerable migrants will face deportation proceedings without representation, raising the stakes for Wednesday’s status report.
