WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Leadership released the following statement regarding the selection of the Burke Law Group to represent unaccompanied migrant children:
“Last week, the Trump Administration awarded the Burke Law Group, a law firm with little to no immigration experience, a contract to provide legal representation to unaccompanied children in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).
Marcella Burke, the Group’s founder and current Chairwoman, markets her firm as a place for lawyers who left other firms over disagreements with workplace diversity policies. This hiring philosophy raises serious questions about whether the firm is equipped to serve a population defined by its diversity of origin, language, and experience.
Unaccompanied children can come from numerous countries, speak different languages, and carry histories of trauma that demand cultural competency, not ideological alignment. Unaccompanied children are among the most vulnerable people in our immigration system, and representing them requires specialized skills that Burke Law Group has not demonstrated.
The Trump Administration has made a practice of issuing awards based on politics and cronyism rather than in the public interest. We are not surprised that the founder of the Burke Law Group served in multiple roles in the first Trump Administration and is a current political appointee of Governor Greg Abbott.
Unaccompanied children deserve legal representation chosen on the basis of experience and qualifications, not political connections. We call on President Trump to cancel this award, disclose how Burke Law Group was selected, and choose qualified legal providers with proven immigration experience.”
Congressional Hispanic Caucus leadership
Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13)
Deputy Chair Rep. Darren Soto (FL-09)
Whip Rep. Sylvia García (TX-29)
Vice Chair of Diversity and Inclusion Rep. Joaquín Castro (TX-20)
Vice Chair of Communications Rep. Norma Torres (CA-35)
Vice Chair of Policy Rep. Rob Menendez (NJ-8)
Vice Chair of Member Engagement Rep. Andrea Salinas (OR-06)
Freshman Representative Rep. Gil Cisneros (CA-31)
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) is 44 members strong. The CHC serves as a forum for the Hispanic Members of Congress to coalesce around a collective legislative agenda. The Caucus is dedicated to voicing and advancing, through the legislative process, issues affecting Hispanics in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. For more information, please visit chc.house.gov.