Standing with Unaccompanied Children
ProBAR’s work is guided by the belief in every child’s right to be heard and treated with compassion and fairness, and ensures that these children do not have to navigate the complex immigration system alone.
Our team provides the following services for unaccompanied children:
- Know Your Rights Presentations
- Legal Screenings
- Connection to Social Services
- Direct Representation*
- Connection to Legal Services
- School Enrollment Assistance
- Assistance with filing immigration paperwork
- Release Representation
*especially in Asylum and Special Immigration Juvenile Status applications
Children In Detention
Our team provides services to unaccompanied children detained in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) in the Rio Grande Valley and Nueces County of South Texas.
Who qualifies as an Unaccompanied Child?
- Children of all ages that have been detained without their parents, including teenagers
- Members of protected populations (i.e. pregnant or parenting teens, LGBTQ+ youth, and indigenous groups such as the Maya or Nahua peoples)
What is the Office of Refugee Resettlement?
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) is a program of the Administration for Children and Families, an office within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), that was created to offer support for individuals seeking safe haven within the United States including victims of human trafficking, those seeking asylum from persecution, survivors of torture and war, and most importantly, unaccompanied children. 
Under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (TVPRA), unaccompanied children apprehended by immigration authorities must be transferred from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to ORR custody within 72 hours. ORR is then legally required to provide for their “care and custody,” which includes shelter, food, medical care, education, and recreational activities while a safe sponsor is found (usually a family member).
As the primary legal advocate on the ground, ProBAR staff, including attorneys and social workers, regularly meet with unaccompanied children in ORR facilities and provide them with critical legal information so that they understand their rights and the legal process ahead.
Unaccompanied Children In the Community
ProBAR actively supports unaccompanied children after they are released from ORR detention. Many children relocate to new cities after leaving detention, and ProBAR provides essential services to help them continue their legal journey. ProBAR offers guidance, prevents misunderstandings, and connects children with critical resources no matter where they live.
- Know-Your-Rights Presentations: We educate children on their basic legal rights and responsibilities in immigration proceedings.
- Change of Address Support: We help ensure the immigration court has a child’s current mailing address so they don’t miss important notices.
- Change of Venue Support: We assist with the process of requesting to transfer a child’s immigration court case to a new city.
- Warm referrals to legal service providers: We personally connect children to trusted, local legal organizations if they move away from our area.
We strive to stay in contact after release, and we mail free resources to encourage ongoing engagement.
ProBAR also provides direct and ongoing legal representation to unaccompanied children who have reunified in South Texas within its service area.
For more information about our services or to request assistance, please contact us or see
How We Can Help.
