The New Mexico Immigrant Law Center Receives a Stop Work Order on Unaccompanied Children Program Contract 

Written By Kevin Hopper

February 19, 2025

 

Without these services, unaccompanied immigrant children in New Mexico will be forced to represent themselves in immigration court with no legal advice or attorney accompaniment. 

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On February 18, the Department of the Interior ordered the Acacia Center for Justice to immediately pause services on the Unaccompanied Children Program. As a result, the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center (NMILC) was ordered to stop work on the services we provide through Acacia's Unaccompanied Children Program. Under this program, NMILC provides direct representation to hundreds of unaccompanied children living in New Mexico who have pending immigration proceedings. These legal services protect children from trafficking, abuse and exploitation, help immigration courts run smoother, and ensure that children navigating the immigration court system alone understand their legal rights and obligations. This stop work order is separate from the federal grants and loans funding freeze that is temporarily blocked by a federal court judge in Washington D.C. 

"As a result of this stop order, hundreds of children in New Mexico and across the country are forced to navigate their immigration cases alone, regardless of their age," said Andres Santiago, Children's Program Managing Attorney at NMILC. "NMILC is the only contract provider of legal services for unaccompanied minors for all counties in New Mexico. Without the services that NMILC provides through the Unaccompanied Children Program, children will be forced to represent themselves in immigration court alone. These legal services ensure that children are not forced to stand up in court alone against a government attorney.”

The New Mexico Immigrant Law Center is pursuing all possible avenues to continue to provide legal representation to unaccompanied immigrant children and urges the government to rapidly restore these essential services so NMILC and national network partners can continue supporting unaccompanied children. 

Individual donations are more important than ever to support ongoing advocacy for the children impacted by this stop work order. 

 

If you want to get involved, please visit nmilc.org/volunteer 

Or to support our work, please contribute to nmilc.org/donate  

 
 
Kevin Hopper

The power of words and pictures has always been immense. From cave paintings and stained glass to the advents of the printing press, photography, television and of course, the Internet.

Words and pictures are everywhere. Lucky for me, I have a talent for crafting and combining them into powerful and effective communication.

I grew up fascinated with photography, then fine art and graphic design. I also stumbled upon my writing talent when a college professor accused me of plagiarism (the highest form of flattery?). A career in advertising seemed the obvious track, so that was my initial route. However, my diverse skillset and ravenous appetite for learning new applications, tools and programs pushed me into journalism, art direction, digital publishing, UX/UI, AI, etc. This constant technological multiplicity keeps me both engaged, challenged, and admittedly, a bit overwhelmed.

Yet what remains constant? Words and pictures.

Regardless of industry, words and pictures are important. This is something that every successful company demands, and armed with the ability to craft both into effective communication, it is a thrill for me to perform.

My career path has been far from standard, but it has opened my creative mind to a multitude of applications and perspectives. Along the way, I have worked with and for some extraordinary people from all walks of life. I celebrate diversity in all forms and continue to seek and solve new communication problems via my design entity Hoppervision.

When time allows, I create artwork, take photos, cook impulsively, collect vintage furniture and snowboard when possible.

Let’s talk creativity in terms of solving your communications issues…

…over a taut espresso, of course!

https://hoppervision.com
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