GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — On Tuesday the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC) received a "stop work" order from the U.S. Department of the Interior, with the letter specifically saying the "stop work order is being implemented due to causes outside of your control and should not be misconstrued as an indication of poor performance by your firm."
They share the notice they received from the Department of the Interior which says the halt will remain in effect until further notice.
According to the MIRC, stopping this funding will cause more than 800 children and families here in Michigan to lose their legal representation. They continue that their legal services for children are also vital to combatting trafficking and exploitation of unaccompanied children.
The MIRC added that they will continue to serve the young clients they represent here in Michigan the best they can for as long as they can, but 80% of their current staffing will be affected by this stop-work order.
This order comes after the Justice Department briefly stopped support for other contacts to provide legal information and guidance to people facing deportation, but did restore funding after being sued by advocacy groups.
This is a copy of the letter as it was given to us. All redactions were done before this letter was given to FOX 17.
US Dept Interior - Stop Letter sent by Trump Administration to MI Immigrant Rights Center by WXMI on Scribd
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