The federal government owes nearly $1 million to Estrella del Paso, the largest provider of free legal services to unaccompanied migrant children in West Texas and New Mexico — and it isn't paying up. 

On this episode of The Raid, host John Carlos Frey sits down with Executive Director Melissa Lopez to break down how the administration tried to terminate a 20-year-old, congressionally mandated legal aid program, lost in federal court, and is now allegedly conditioning payment on providers handing over confidential client information about the children they represent. 

With reimbursements frozen since November 2025 and a contract deadline looming on August 1, Estrella del Paso and 90+ partner organizations nationwide are fighting in federal court to keep the program alive. Lopez lays out what's at stake if they lose: children facing deportation, alone, with no attorney and no advocate. 

https://estrelladelpaso.org/

https://theraidpodcast.org/

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