UAC Legal Services

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), within HHS's Administration for Children and Families, is responsible for the care, custody, and placement of unaccompanied alien children (UAC) in federal immigration custody. Under the Homeland Security Act and the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), ORR must provide safe care, facilitate timely release to appropriate sponsors, and, to the greatest extent practicable, ensure UAC have legal representation, prioritizing pro bono counsel.
This contract requires the contractor to deliver nationwide legal services for eligible UAC while they are in ORR custody and, in limited circumstances, after release. Required services include:
Transitioning approximately 24,000 active cases from the incumbent contractor. Providing legal orientations to explain immigration rights and processes. Conducting individual legal consultations to assess eligibility for immigration relief. Providing direct legal representation when required by law and funding permits. Managing a nationwide network of legal service providers (including pro bono attorneys). Collecting, analyzing, and reporting case and performance data through ORR systems. Maximizing the use of pro bono legal services. Ensuring an orderly transition of operations at contract close.
The contractor must also employ qualified legal personnel (attorneys, accredited representatives, supervised law students/graduates, and paralegals where appropriate), maintain complete and auditable case records, and provide interpretation, translation, and language-accessible services so UAC receive legal assistance in a language they understand.