The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights v. U.S. Department of Justice
D.D.C., Civ. No. 26-2118 (TJK)
Court Documents
Beginning in 2026, children in immigration court, including those for whom The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights (Young Center) was appointed to serve as Child Advocate, began to see changes to court practices that further rushed the processing of their cases. The Young Center learned that this was the likely result of new guidance from the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), a part of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), mandating that immigration judges proceed in an expedited fashion that moved up children’s court dates and limited the ability of immigration judges to grant continuances. These changes in how immigration cases are processed raise concerns about children being improperly removed and denied adequate time to prepare their case, particularly where the child lacks legal representation.
On April 30, 2026, the Young Center filed a request pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for the guidance and records related to the changes occurring in immigration court. The government did not timely respond.
On June 16, 2026, Terris, Pravlik & Millian, LLP filed a lawsuit with the Young Center asking the United States District Court for the District of Columbia to order the federal government to produce the documents promptly, as required by FOIA. A copy of the complaint is here.
If you have questions about the case, please call Molly Bernstein at 202-204-8477.