Bennet, Padilla, Cortez Masto, Goldman, Crow Denounce Trump Administration’s Nonpayment for Legal Services for Unaccompanied Minors, Demand Payment

 Pursuant to Senate Policy, petitions, opinion polls, and unsolicited mass electronic communications cannot be initiated by this office for the 60-day period immediately before the date of a primary or general election. Subscribers currently receiving electronic communications from this office who wish to unsubscribe may do so here . M About About Michael Legislation News Press Releases Social Media Newsletter Archive Services Priorities Top Issues Child Tax Credit Investing in Colorado Contact Map Español Acerca de Michael Escribe a Michael Prioridades Servicios Visitando D.C. Bennet, Padilla, Cortez Masto, Goldman, Crow Denounce Trump Administration’s Nonpayment for Legal Services for Unaccompanied Minors, Demand Payment Legal Services Providers Have Not Received Payment Owed Since 2025 Denver — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet joined Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), along with U.S. Representatives Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), Jason Crow (D-Colo), and 70 lawmakers to demand that the Office of Refugee […] Jun 8, 2026 | Press Releases Legal Services Providers Have Not Received Payment Owed Since 2025 Denver — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet joined Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), along with U.S. Representatives Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), Jason Crow (D-Colo), and 70 lawmakers to demand that the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) reimburse providers for work performed under their contract to furnish legal services to unaccompanied children. ORR has not issued reimbursements for services rendered since December 2025, despite Congress having appropriated funds for this purpose. The agency’s ongoing refusal to issue payments contravenes the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) requirements, appropriations directives, and the federal government’s contractual obligations. “ORR’s plain breach of contract threatens the viability of the nationwide network of nonprofit legal service providers that serve vulnerable unaccompanied children. These providers deliver critical legal representation, legal screenings, and Know Your Rights presentations to thousands of children across the country,” wrote the lawmakers. “Their work is essential to ensuring that children are protected from trafficking, exploitation, and other harms, and that they appear for and are able to meaningfully participate in their immigration proceedings. Nonprofit providers do not have the reserves necessary to absorb prolonged nonpayment at this scale. As a result, organizations may be forced to lay off staff, stop accepting new cases, or cease operations altogether. These outcomes would jeopardize thousands of children’s access to legal representation mid-case.” In their letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the lawmakers also expressed concern about reports that ORR is conditioning reimbursement on the provision of additional, case-specific information not required under the terms of the contract. These demands are an administrative stall tactic and reportedly include identifying information about child clients that may implicate attorney-client privilege and ethical obligations governing confidentiality. The lawmakers demanded that ORR immediately fulfill all pending invoices; provide an explanation of the basis for the payment delays; and confirm that ORR will not condition payment on the provision of information not required under the contract. In December 2025, Bennet joined Senators John Hickenlooper and Cortez Masto, as well as 19 of their Senate Democratic colleagues to introduce the Upholding Protections for Unaccompanied Children Act, legislation to reverse the provisions in Republicans’ so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” that harm children seeking safety from trafficking, abuse, and exploitation in their home countries. In November 2025, Bennet joined U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and 48 bicameral colleagues to introduce the Restoring Access to Detainees Act, legislation to ensure the Department of Homeland Security allows noncitizens who have been detained to contact their legal counsel and families. In March 2025, Bennet urged the Trump Administration to reinstate critical protections for unaccompanied migrant children following the U.S. Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review’s (EOIR) decision to rescind the 2023 Memorandum on Children’s Cases in Immigration Court and reinstate 2017 guidelines. Bennet also urged the Trump Administration to ensure unaccompanied children in the immigration system receive legal representation. In 2024, alongside Senate colleagues, Bennet called on Senate Appropriations leaders to ensure EOIR reports on the implementation of specialized children’s immigration courts. In 2023, Bennet and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-