Anti-trafficking group linked to controversial Sound of Freedom movie gets massive Trump contract to represent migrant kids

Anti-trafficking group linked to controversial Sound of Freedom movie gets massive Trump contract to represent migrant kids Our Rescue, formerly Tim Ballard’s Operation Underground Railroad, is latest firm to get lucrative no-bid contract to support unaccompanied minors - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments An anti-trafficking group whose founder resigned amid allegations of sexual abuse, forced labor and trafficking has been awarded at least $158 million in federal funding to provide legal representation to potentially thousands of immigrant children. Donald Trump’s administration awarded a no-bid contract to Our Rescue, formerly Operation Underground Railroad, that could be worth more than $244 million, according to federal filings. “Our Rescue is steadfast on our mission to help vulnerable children across the U.S. and around the world,” CEO Derek Benner said in a statement shared with The Independent on Tuesday. “Ensuring that Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) have access to qualified legal counsel and are protected from child exploitation and human trafficking fits squarely within this mission,” he added. “These are among the most vulnerable children in the world, and they deserve nothing less than the full weight of our experience. We welcome this responsibility and are working on their behalf.” The latest contract follows the Trump administration’s efforts to fill gaps in legally required counsel for thousands of unaccompanied migrant children in the custody of the Health Department's Office of Refugee Resettlement. Our Rescue and a boutique Texas firm whose founder worked in the first Trump administration have been hired to represent them after the government cut ties to a network of more than 100 organizations that provided that support for nearly two decades. The federal government is legally required to facilitate legal counsel for unaccompanied children in government custody. The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act requires the government to “ensure, to the greatest extent practicable,” that all unaccompanied minors receive legal counsel “to represent them in legal proceedings” and to “protect them from mistreatment, exploitation and trafficking.” Those children effectively lost their representation overnight when a long-standing contract with the Acacia Center for Justice ended last month. Acacia said it declined another contract with the Trump administration because of a new stipulation that required legal service providers to turn over confidential client information that the organization said could be used to deport them. “That would not only violate our legal ethics, but also our moral values,” Acacia said in a statement this month. Operation Underground Railroad founder Tim Ballard has claimed to be a former Department of Homeland Security investigator who quit his job in 2013 to stage sting operations and other clandestine efforts to ostensibly combat human trafficking and rescue children outside the U.S. Ballard also was appointed as a co-chair of an anti-trafficking group tasked with making policy recommendations to the White House during the first Trump administration in 2019. His story loosely inspired the 2023 film Sound of Freedom, a Christian thriller that elevated Ballard’s organization in right-wing media in the wake of QAnon conspiracy theories surrounding “child trafficking” while drawing criticism from experts for misrepresenting what trafficking actually looks like. Ballard abruptly resigned from Operation Underground Railroad in 2023 amid allegations of sexual misconduct, including lawsuits from women who accused Ballard himself of trafficking women and forced labor. Those lawsuits remain active. Ballard has vehemently denied the allegations. The organization changed its name to Our Rescue in 2024. Benner, the new CEO, is a Homeland Security Investigations director who spearheaded the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking. According to its most recently available report reviewing its 2024 efforts, Our Rescue worked with 228 law enforcement agencies and performed operations in 27 countries and all 50 states, resulting in 1,969 global arrests. Last week, the Trump administration announced plans to award $150 million to Burke Law Group, which will “provide legal orientation, legal consultation and attorney-of-record representation services” to children in the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, according to the agreement. The firm’s founder and managing partner Marcella Burke previously worked as deputy solicitor and senior counsel at the Department of the Interior and as deputy general counsel at the Environmental Protection Agency during the first Trump administration. She does not appear to have extensive experience in immigration law or work with unaccompanied minors. Only one attorney from the 26 listed on the Houston-based firm’s website mentions experience representing unaccompanied minors in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The Independent has requested comment from the Department of Health and Human Services. Advocacy groups have feared the Trump administration is providing bare-minimum legal representation to comply with federal law while accelerating the removal of migrant children in government custody. Several judges have stopped the abrupt removals of migrant children over the last year over fears that attempts to swiftly deport them skirted due process. Children in government custody “desperately need an advocate in their corner to keep them safe and to ensure their due process rights and best interests are respected,” according to Moira Duvernay, deputy director at the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, which was among advocacy groups in Acacia’s network. “Forcing these children to navigate our immigration system alone would be unfathomably cruel,” she said last month. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments