KIDS ON THE BORDERLINE
Unaccompanied minors at the U.S. border face complex legal challenges without guaranteed legal representation. Despite being children—many fleeing violence, poverty, or family trauma—these minors often appear in immigration court completely alone. As of 2024, no federal law guarantees them an attorney, and programs designed to expand access to legal aid have been underfunded or dissolved. Thousands of children each year face deportation proceedings without the ability to understand the charges or defend their rights. Kids on the Borderline documents these injustices and advocates for systemic change, dignity, and due process for every child.
Kids on the Borderline
“Before they can spell their name, they’re forced to defend it in court.”
Open Letter to Congress
From Pyrrhic Press and Concerned Citizens of the United States
Subject: Protect the Rights of Unaccompanied Children in Immigration Court
Dear Members of the United States Congress,
We write to you as citizens, educators, researchers, parents, and human beings deeply disturbed by the treatment of unaccompanied children within the U.S. immigration system.
Each year, thousands of minors are forced to appear alone in court without legal counsel. Many of them are fleeing violence, family separation, and economic devastation. Yet, they are expected to navigate complex legal proceedings in a language they do not understand, in a system that does not guarantee them an advocate.
We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for the basic constitutional principles of due process and equal protection under the law to apply to all children, regardless of origin or status.
This is not a partisan issue. It is a moral, legal, and humanitarian one.
Our recent project, Kids on the Borderline, documents five real cases — Ana, Mateo, Leyla, Darius, and Sofia — whose lives were either shattered or saved depending on whether legal support was available. These are not outliers. They are the rule.
We urge Congress to:
- Pass legislation ensuring universal legal representation for all unaccompanied minors in immigration proceedings.
- Increase funding for local legal aid organizations that work on the frontlines of this crisis.
- Establish national trauma-informed intake standards for minors held in federal or contracted custody.
- Require language access accommodations for children who speak Indigenous or non-dominant languages.
- Hold oversight hearings on the long-term impact of detention and family separation on youth.
The United States has a duty — both legal and moral — to protect children. The time to act is now.
Respectfully,
Dr. Nicholas J. Pirro
Pyrrhic Press
editor@pyrrhicpress.org
www.pyrrhicpress.org/kotbl
On behalf of concerned educators, notaries, legal advocates, and child welfare supporters across the U.S.
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“This is not about politics. This is about protecting children.”