{"id":2643186,"date":"2026-08-11T14:21:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T18:21:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/group-in-sound-of-freedom-wins-federal-contract-to-represent-immigrant-children\/"},"modified":"2026-08-11T14:25:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T18:25:59","slug":"group-in-sound-of-freedom-wins-federal-contract-to-represent-immigrant-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/group-in-sound-of-freedom-wins-federal-contract-to-represent-immigrant-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Group in Sound of Freedom wins federal contract to represent immigrant children"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgroup-in-sound-of-freedom-wins-federal-contract-to-represent-immigrant-children%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2643186&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Trump administration awarded a $158 million federal contract to our Rescue,a nonprofit organization focused on combating child trafficking,to legally represent unaccompanied immigrant children in court. This decision is controversial as our Rescue\u2019s founder, Tim Ballard, a former ICE official known for rescuing children from trafficking rings, stepped down amid recent federal allegations of sex trafficking and forced labor against him and the organization. Despite these allegations, the government chose Our Rescue over customary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/amnesty-lobby-bbb-will-fix-joe-bidens-inflation-by-cutting-voters-wages\/\" title=\"Amnesty Lobby: BBB Will Fix Joe ...&#039;s Inflation by Cutting Voters&#039; Wages\">immigrant advocacy groups<\/a>, with the organization emphasizing it&#8217;s collaboration with law enforcement and commitment to supporting trafficking survivors. Additionally, the Biden administration has awarded similar contracts to other firms, such as the small Texas-based Burke Law group. The process for unaccompanied children involves initial detention by Border Patrol, followed by placement in facilities operated by HHS ORR, with courts determining whether children can reunite with family or be deported, a lengthy process hindered by a notable backlog. The number of unaccompanied minors entering the U.S has surged under Biden, with over 500,000 children arriving during his tenure, many still awaiting legal proceedings.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Trump administration has awarded a second federal contract to legally represent <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/unaccompanied-minors\">unaccompanied immigrant children<\/a> in court to an organization whose former leader was accused in federal court of human trafficking.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-health-and-human-services\">Department of Health and Human Services\u2019s<\/a> Office of Refugee Resettlement announced late last week the award of a $158 million contract to Our Rescue, a nonprofit group focused on fighting <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/human-trafficking\">child trafficking<\/a> that has been accused by five women in a 2024 federal lawsuit of sex trafficking and forced labor, according to a <em>Washington Post<\/em> <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/immigration\/2026\/08\/11\/ex-ice-agents-group-awarded-158-million-represent-migrant-children\/\">report<\/a>. The lawsuit is ongoing.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4682670\/tim-ballard-group-contract-represent-unaccompanied-immigrant-children\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Tim Ballard\u2019s group awarded $158 million contract to represent unaccompanied immigrant children<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4682411\/trump-threatens-think-tank-lawsuit-national-guard-report\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump threatens think tank with lawsuit over disagreement with National Guard effect on crime<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4681451\/lauren-boebert-son-arrested-child-sexual-exploitation-charges-video-17-year-old\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Lauren Boebert\u2019s son arrested on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lauren-boeberts-son-arrested-on-child-sexual-exploitation-charges\/\" title=\"Lauren Boebert&#039;s son arrested on ... sexual exploitation charges\">child sexual exploitation charges related<\/a> to video of a 17-year-old<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The organization\u2019s founder, Tim Ballard, is a former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement employee who left his job over a decade ago with the mission of rescuing children from sex trafficking rings across Latin America and Asia. The 2023 film <em>Sound of Freedom<\/em> was inspired by his efforts and touted by Republicans as a look at the truth about children smuggled to the border.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ballard stepped down from Our Rescue abruptly in 2023, shortly before the trafficking allegations came out. The organization\u2019s website does not mention the newly awarded contract.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The award to Our Rescue is a departure from historic norms of awarding contracts to represent children in legal proceedings to well-known immigrant advocacy groups. Under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, the U.S. government is required to pay for and provide attorneys for single children in deportation proceedings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our Rescue\u2019s new executive, Derek Benner, is the former leader of ICE\u2019s Homeland Security Investigations arm. As a nongovernmental organization, Our Rescue\u2019s website states that it works \u201chand-in-hand with law enforcement, local communities, and global partners to confront exploitation and human trafficking head-on.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe help equip operations that identify and stop predators, and we walk with survivors every step of the way, offering care with dignity and compassion,\u201d the group\u2019s website states.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">HHS awarded a similar contract worth $150 million to the small Texas firm Burke Law Group in early August. The group\u2019s leader, Marcella Burke, was a former Trump administration appointee.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Children who cross the U.S.-Mexico border alone are initially apprehended by <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/border-patrol\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"2090\">Border Patrol<\/a> agents, then swiftly turned over to HHS ORR, which houses them in facilities for minors. Authorities will determine whether a child can be returned to a nearby home country, such as northern Central America or Mexico, or whether a family member or adult friend in the United States can take custody of them through deportation proceedings in court.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/4680997\/democrats-investigating-ice-arrests-military-family-members\/\">MORE THAN 60 DEMOCRATS ARE INVESTIGATING ICE ARRESTS OF MILITARY FAMILY MEMBERS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The child is then required to appear in court, likely not for years due to the massive backlog, to account for entering the country without permission.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than 500,000 unaccompanied immigrant children entered the U.S. from Mexico during the Biden administration, far more than during any previous administration. Many of those children are still waiting to appear in court and learn whether they will be required to leave the U.S.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump admin awards $158M contract to controversial child trafficking group<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2655,"featured_media":2643187,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/tim-ballard-sound-of-freedom-e1786461703216.png?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[83989,83987,83990,83988,3813],"class_list":["post-2643186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-child-advocacy","tag-federal-contract","tag-government-project","tag-immigrant-children","tag-immigration"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/tim-ballard-sound-of-freedom-e1786461703216.png?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2643186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2655"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2643186"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2643186\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2643190,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2643186\/revisions\/2643190"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2643187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2643186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2643186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2643186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}