The Trump administration is trying to undermine access to legal services for unaccompanied immigrant children

Immigration officials are threatening to prioritize unaccompanied immigrant children for deportation, while working to deprive them of access to legal services and representation.

Julian Zelizer : These moves in tandem would destabilize the lives of hundreds of thousands of children, putting them at heightened risk of violence, exploitation, and trafficking.

Zelizer says children who have lawyers are nearly 300 percent more likely to obtain relief from an immigration judge.

The president’s powers are limited under our Constitution , says Julian Zelizer .

Zelizer: Any presidential action to unilaterally eliminate access to counsel for unaccompanied children would violate the substance and the spirit of existing laws duly enacted by Congress .

He says Congress and the courts must stand up for due process and the rule of law.