Burke Law Group declines migrant children contract

The Trump administration's plan to award a $150 million no-bid contract to Burke Law Group to represent unaccompanied migrant children collapsed when the firm declined the offer. The contract was part of the administration's mass deportation campaign after the previous contract with Brennan Center for Justice expired on July 31, leaving about 24,000 children without guaranteed legal representation. The United States — Office of Refugee Resettlement confirmed Burke's withdrawal and noted that temporary representation is being provided by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants under a $20 million contract through December. Separately, the administration awarded a contract worth up to $244 million to Our Rescue, an anti-trafficking group, despite its founder Tim Ballard facing misconduct allegations. Legal aid providers whose contracts expired sued the government for unpaid fees, and on August 6 a California federal judge ordered the government to pay them. Payments covering six of nine months owed have begun, according to Brennan Center for Justice.