The Trump administration’s cuts are affecting countless government programs, but most people might overlook threats to legal aid organizations around the country that service millions who cannot otherwise afford legal services in civil and criminal proceedings. 

As many as 1 million adults and 810,000 children were given legal help in 2023 by grantees under the Legal Services Corp., a nonprofit established by Congress to give legal assistance to low-income Americans. About 71 percent of that number were women, 38 percent were white, and nearly 60 percent were people of color.

Organizations that provide these services are facing potential stop-work orders, much like the one issued by a White House executive order that prevented legal aid organizations from providing services to people federal detention centers and immigration courts. That was reversed, along with another for groups that give legal aid to migrant children.

“Millions of people are living in or near poverty in this country and tens of millions are eligible for this kind of service,” said Radhika Singh, vice president, Civil Legal Services and Strategic Policy Initiatives for the National Legal Aid & Defender Association.

Still, at the rate executive orders and funding freezes are coming from the White House, there’s no telling if more will affect the legal aid field. This could mean threats to organizations like Iowa Legal Aid, or North Mississippi Rural Legal Services Inc., which help people not only with public defenders in criminal cases, but also when they need help in civil cases like eviction, obtaining health care, and even child custody.

Singh says a cutoff of funding at many agencies would leave people who have few resources with even fewer and put them at risk.

“The organizations that help … are incredibly underfunded even with federal help. Some programs’ budgets are 60 percent federal and if that funding is under threat, the broader effect is there is so much uncertainty. If they have to close their doors, then what will happen to people?” Singh said.

In some instances because of the potential loss to legal aid services, NLADA was made aware of a veteran’s services program whose clients could not access medication because healthcare access had been frozen. Other cases that were delayed or halted involved protective orders in domestic violence cases, access to treatment services and halting evictions. All of these are helped by legal aid organizations.

These threatened cuts to federal funding aren’t legal aid groups’ only money woes. In Florida, where legal aid is funded by interest earned on accounts used by attorneys to hold money from their clients, the banking industry has pushed a bill to roll back the high interest rates on those accounts.

If the Legislature goes along with the banks, “we, in all the Legal Aids in the state, would have to retract in 2026. That’s what we’re worried about,” Jim Kowalski, president and CEO of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, told Jacksonville, Fla,, station WFOX.

Singh says it’s unclear what will happen in the fall. She is particularly worried about grants for services being pulled back.

“If that happens there’s a risk there will be no other funding,” she said.


On the criminal case side, the Sixth Amendment provides the right to a lawyer, and court systems, both federal and local, are obligated to provide representation for those who cannot afford it. Losing funding for public defenders, who earn an average $66,000 per year, far lower than the average $105,000 for criminal defense attorneys, can discourage them further from seeking jobs with legal aid organizations.

With a shortage of public defenders, judges who want more efficient trials and less red tape would be faced with a system that cannot provide legal representation for people who have a right to it, delaying proceedings.

“Block grants fund police departments and other agencies and some monies fund public defenders,” Singh explained. “ It’s putting our lawyers and legal advocates in a difficult place.”

More coverage of Trump cuts

Professional organizations sound the alarm on Trump-era hiring rollbacks – URL Media

Education funding is under threat and students of color are at risk – URL Media

Why boycotting works … and why it’s risky – URL Media

Indian Health Services gets clarity on Trump cuts – Native News Online

Millions face toxic water as Trump reverses key environmental reforms – Capital B

Don Lemon: ‘We’re going to be OK’ during the new Trump era, but you should still protect your peace – URL Media