Texas law firm withdraws from $150M contract to represent migrant children

A small Texas law firm, Burke Law Group, has withdrawn from consideration for a $150 million federal contract to represent unaccompanied migrant children, following objections from immigrant advocacy groups. The decision was announced in a court filing on Thursday by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Burke Law Group, which has 26 employees across eight offices, was initially set to receive the contract to provide legal services to children in government custody during immigration proceedings.

The firm, with connections to the Trump administration, had initially not listed immigration law as a practice area but later added it to their website. Burke Law Group's founders include Marcella Burke, a former Trump appointee to the EPA and the Department of the Interior, and Jeffrey Hall, a former employee and founding partner.

The contract withdrawal comes after HHS announced its intent to award the contract to Burke Law Group, despite concerns raised by advocacy groups. HHS had offered the contract to Acacia Center for Justice, an immigrant advocacy group, in December 2023, but they refused due to HHS's request for confidential client-level data. The HHS official stated that they are in the final stages of negotiations with another potential successor contractor.