The article discusses the challenges faced by children in deportation proceedings at the West Los Angeles Immigration Court, highlighting the absence of legal representation as a critical issue. With the Trump administration cutting funding for legal support, many children, often unaccompanied, navigate a complicated legal system alone without understanding their rights or the complexities of their cases. The lack of English proficiency and legal knowledge exacerbates their vulnerability, leaving them at high risk of deportation to potentially dangerous environments.
"These kids often have no idea what's going on, and without a lawyer, they're doomed," said Holly S. Cooper, who was part of the first federal pilot program to represent children in immigration court more than two decades ago.
"I have been representing unaccompanied children for 27 years," said Cooper. "And people are always shocked to see what it looks like for children to navigate a labyrinthine legal system by themselves."
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