Rushing unaccompanied children through asylum interviews on a day's notice, after ending the contract for their lawyers

What happened

The plaintiffs are the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, The Door, the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, the Galveston-Houston Immigrant Representation Project, the Immigrant Defenders Law Center and Jewish Family and Community Services Pittsburgh, which say they have received more than 600 interview notices since Aug. 1. The suit, against USCIS and the Executive Office for Immigration Review, says detained children must file asylum applications at once and get 24 hours' notice before an interview, that lawyers are blocked from rescheduling even when double-booked, that immigration judges have been ordered to finish the cases by Jan. 31, and that children have continued interviews while visibly distressed.

It covers children living with family in the United States and children held in Office of Refugee Resettlement shelters or after their guardians were detained by ICE. The plaintiffs argue the process departs from what Congress intended in the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, which entitles unaccompanied children to a non-adversarial interview and independent counsel, and ask the court to restore the earlier practice, including at least 21 days' notice before an interview.

Where it stands

Pending: the lawsuit was filed Oct. 15, 2026, and no court has ruled. The Justice Department and Homeland Security did not respond to The Washington Sun's requests for comment.

The administration's side

The administration denies that cases are being fast-tracked and says officials prioritize timely completion of cases. An HHS spokesperson told CNN that the Office of Refugee Resettlement supports children's ability to take part in immigration proceedings with counsel, and that immigration judges manage their own juvenile dockets and decide asylum claims independently.

Sources

• CNN via ABC 17 News
• The Washington Sun (formerly NOTUS)