The Justice Department’s initial stop-work order on January 22 placed a temporary halt on four federally funded programs designed to provide guidance and assistance to individuals facing deportation. These programs were critical in helping people understand their rights and navigate the complex immigration courts and detention processes.

The reversal, just days later, came after nonprofit groups, including the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, filed a federal lawsuit, arguing that suspending these programs would lead to violations of due process and further burden already backlogged immigration courts. The consequences were immediate: in Detroit, for example, the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center had to post a notice at the immigration court indicating that its help desk services were suspended, leaving many without support as they awaited hearings.

This back-and-forth reflects the ongoing tension between immigration enforcement policies and the rights of individuals in the system, particularly those who may not have the resources or knowledge to effectively advocate for themselves. Given that immigration law is incredibly complex, these programs were not just a form of assistance—they were a vital safety net to ensure that people could fully participate in their hearings, understand their legal options, and challenge deportation orders if applicable.

The case also underscores how shifts in policy can have immediate and widespread consequences for those already vulnerable in the legal process. This incident is a reminder of the critical role nonprofit organizations play in filling gaps where government resources might fall short.

Despite the loss of federal funding, staff from the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights went to a Virginia detention center to provide services the day after the stop-work order. They had spoken to about two dozen people when detention center staff escorted them out, telling them they could no longer provide those services, Amica executive director Michael Lukens said.

After the stop-work order, the organization was providing scaled-down services, but they were unsure how long they would be able to continue that with the gap left by federal funding cuts, spokesperson Tara Tidwell Cullen said last week.

Several organizations had been told that posters informing people of their services and information about legal help hotlines have been removed from detention centers.

Congress allocates $29 million a year for the four programs — the Legal Orientation Program, the Immigration Court Helpdesk, the Family Group Legal Orientation and the Counsel for Children Initiative — funding that’s spread among various groups across the country providing the services, Lukens said, adding that the programs have broad bipartisan support. The amount is the same regardless of the number of people they’re helping, and the organizations often do additional fundraising to cover their costs, he said.

Trump previously targeted these programs during his first term, but things moved more quickly this time around.

In 2018, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the funding would be pulled from the programs, but the threat of legal action by a coalition of organizations that provide the services, as well as bipartisan support from members of Congress, caused the Justice Department to reverse course.