MANILA – A six-year-old migrant child faced a United States immigration court alone after the administration of US President Donald Trump moved to cut federal funding for legal representation programs assisting unaccompanied minors.
Victoria, a six-year-old Venezuelan child, was first called into court alone in November 2025, despite migrating to the US and applying for asylum with her parents. Without legal representation, Victoria waited for hours in the courtroom before seeing a judge as she was forced to represent herself in court as a kindergartener.
Kasandra Seda of the International Migrants Alliance, one of the key organizers behind the effort to support Victoria, said that Victoria’s case, unfortunately, is not isolated as approximately ten other children faced a similar situation during that same November hearing.
Photo by International Women’s Alliance
Through the coordinated efforts of advocates like the International Migrants Alliance (IMA), International Women’s Alliance (IWA), and Defend Migrants Alliance (DMA), they were able to assemble a legal team for Victoria.
On February 13, 2026, the volunteer lawyers accompanied Victoria when she again appeared before the immigration court at the Seattle Federal Building.
The community immediately rallied behind her, bringing coffee, donuts, and stuffed animals and toys to give to other families and children also headed to court that day for their asylum cases.
Photo by International Women’s Alliance
As the court hearing went on, they blasted songs from the popular animated movie K-pop Demon Hunters in an effort to ease the anxiety of the children as they chanted: “No estás solo! (You are not alone)”
After the hearing, Victoria’s family emerged victorious as they said her case had been consolidated with her mother’s.
“She will never have to go into that ICE court alone again,” said Seda.
But the campaign continues on as IMA, IWA, and DMA vow to continue to fight alongside Victoria and her family to fully unify both parents’ asylum cases with Victoria’s.
“The fight is not done until all migrant families have access to the services they need from housing to healthcare to legal representation, and this cruel and unjust system of family separation and forced migration has ended,” the groups said in a press statement. (RVO)
Photo by International Women’s Alliance
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