Senate Democrats Want No Child Left Alone in Court
A bill led by Senator Hirono would restore and expand legal protections stripped under Trump administration policy
WASHINGTON — In a direct rebuke of the Trump administration’s latest crackdown on immigrant protections, Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) led 26 Democratic colleagues this week in reintroducing the Fair Day in Court for Kids Act of 2025, a bill that would guarantee government-funded legal representation to unaccompanied children navigating the U.S. immigration system.
The legislation, reintroduced amid national outrage over the Trump administration’s termination of a longstanding legal services contract that helped over 26,000 unaccompanied minors, seeks to reinforce due process and ensure children are not left alone to face immigration judges and government attorneys seeking their removal.
“Children cannot represent themselves in Court—it’s that simple,” Senator Hirono said in a statement. “As the Trump Administration continues its war on immigrants, this legislation will safeguard legal representation for unaccompanied children, helping to protect them from heightened risk of mistreatment,…