Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)

06/22/2026

The government has an attorney. A child should have one too.

Unaccompanied children should not be rushed through immigration court without meaningful access to legal representation. Yet disruptions to legal services, including delayed payments to providers, threaten the support children need to understand their rights and make their case.

When a child is forced to stand alone in court, the system is not fair.

Every child deserves counsel, protection, and a real chance to be heard. Help protect children’s access to legal representation by adding your voice today.
https://bit.ly/4eFkPfA

06/21/2026

This , we’re reflecting on the importance of family reunification for children who have been separated from the people they love.

After a year apart, Irina* reached safety in the United States and was reunited with her father. Their story is a reminder that protection is not only about legal safety. For children, safety also means stability, belonging, and the presence of trusted adults who can help them begin again.

Her father shares, “I make it a point to include my children in everything I do. I cherish every opportunity to be with them.”

KIND is proud to support children and families like Irina’s as they navigate complex immigration systems and work toward safety, stability, and reunification.

*Name changed to protect identity.

Join us in honoring the fathers and father-figures who play such a ...

06/20/2026

When 16-year-old Ayrad* reached Poland after fleeing conflict, he was alone, traumatized, and unsure who he could trust.

Misleading information about the asylum process had placed him at serious risk. Without the right support, he could have been returned to danger.

A KIND attorney helped change the course of his journey, ensuring Ayrad was recognized as an unaccompanied child, transferred into foster care, and supported throughout his asylum case. With a trusted adult beside him, he began to understand his rights, rebuild trust, and find the stability he needed to move forward.

Today, Ayrad is pursuing vocational training.

This , his story reminds us that finding safety is not one moment. It takes protection, legal support, and people committed to helping children build a future.

Read Ayrad’s full story: https://bit.ly/4euStVm

Your support helps more children find protection and a path forward.

*Name changed to protect client identity.

06/18/2026

New data shows immigration officers are more than twice as likely to misclassify the age of youth compared to social workers.

Children wrongly assessed as adults have been charged with immigration offences and are being held in adult prisons, with some having already survived torture or trafficking.

Local authorities deem young arrivals to be children more than twice as often as border forces, Home Office data shows

06/15/2026

Education is not a privilege reserved for some children.

Forty-four years ago, Plyler v. Doe affirmed that all children have the right to attend public school, regardless of immigration status.

Today, as efforts seek to undermine those protections, the values behind Plyler remain as relevant as ever.

Every child deserves the opportunity to learn, belong, and thrive.

06/13/2026

Legal services are a child protection tool.

A recent Washington Post report details an expanded federal investigation into unaccompanied children and the organizations that serve them.

Every day, legal service providers help children understand their rights, navigate immigration proceedings, and access protections available under the law.

As KIND President Wendy Young told The Washington Post: "They need to really back off this notion that somehow we are the problem when we are really part of the solution."

Children are safer when they have access to trusted legal support—not less.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2026/06/13/trump-officials-broaden-investigation-into-unaccompanied-migrant-children/

06/12/2026

On June 11, federal agents visited KIND’s headquarters without a warrant as part of an operation targeting legal service providers for unaccompanied children.

This comes as providers nationwide await overdue federal payments for critical legal services, work required under longstanding anti-trafficking laws designed to protect children.

KIND alone is owed more than $20 million for services already delivered. Legal representation keeps children safe from trafficking and other harms, supports due process, and ensures court compliance. We will continue this work—without intimidation.

Our full statement: https://bit.ly/4vFjdJt

06/11/2026

Imagine being three years old when you're separated from your mom.

Years later, you reunite thinking you have stability. Only for her to be taken again.

This is the reality for thousands of children like Ederson. Families who were supposed to be protected under the Ms. L settlement are facing separation again. Parents are being detained and deported with no warning, leaving children behind or forcing entire families into instability abroad.

An Associated Press investigation reveals that dozens of children who were separated under the first Trump administration have been reseparated, despite a judge's order to reunite them.

06/11/2026

KIND participó en la primera sesión de la Comisión de protección integral de niñez en movilidad de SIPINNA Chiapas. Agradecemos la colaboración con la Secretaria Ejecutiva, DIF Chiapas y otras autoridades por responder conjuntamente las necesidades de la niñez y adolescencia en movilidad.

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KIND was honored to participate in the first session of the Commission on the Protection of Children on the Move within Chiapas's state child protection system. Thank you to the Executive Secretariat, DIF Chiapas, and all members for your partnership in addressing the needs of children on the move.

06/10/2026

🚨The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) is putting critical legal services for unaccompanied children at risk by withholding funding and demanding unnecessary, potentially harmful information.

These services are required by law, and are essential to keeping children safe.

Add your voice today.
https://bit.ly/4eeoYXI