Impact of Federal Funding Termination for Unaccompanied Children (UC) in Rural Red States

On March 2, 2025, the federal government terminated a five-year contract to fund lawyers for UCs in immigration court. That same day the federal government announced specifically targeting UCs and their sponsors for deportation. SDVFP is the only organization in South Dakota to provide legal services for UCs in the state, and this federal funding fully funded this program. South Dakota is a deeply conservative and rural state. This federal funding was critical to SDVFP, as foundations in the state do not fund this work, and the individual donor base is also limited. SDVFP received $325,000/year. This funding termination occurred in year 3 of a 5-year grant.