A Small Texas Law Firm Is in Line for a $150 Million Federal Contract to Help Migrant Kids
The Trump administration is preparing to award a $150 million contract to Burke Law Group, a small law firm in Houston, Texas. The firm would provide lawyers for migrant children who cross the U.S. border alone, without a parent or guardian, NPR reported on August 5, 2026. The contract would last one year and begin August 15 (Houston Public Media).
The NPR report, by Sergio Martínez-Beltrán and Mary Louise Kelly on the program All Things Considered, said Burke Law Group has ties to the Trump administration. ABC News said the firm is small and does not have experience with immigration cases.
The contract is run through a government office called the Office of Refugee Resettlement, part of the Department of Health and Human Services. This office takes care of children who arrive at the border without a parent or guardian. Its rules say the office and its partners must act in the child's best interest and that children should be released to parents, relatives, or other adults chosen by the parents. The office can also pay for lawyers to represent these children in immigration proceedings.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement has also announced a separate funding opportunity for non-profit organizations to help place children and manage their cases. Applications are due by September 17, 2026, and are posted on grants.gov.
The office also runs a separate group called the Ombudsman, where children and their families can raise concerns privately. That office's rules were updated in July 2026.
The broader context here is the gap between the size of the job and the firm's experience. A $150 million contract for one year of legal work is a large amount of money. Choosing a firm that reportedly lacks immigration experience raises questions about whether it can hire and train enough lawyers in time and follow the office's rules for protecting children. The August 15 start date leaves little time to prepare. How Burke Law Group handles the workload, and how the government keeps track of the firm's work, will be the main things to watch.
