Legal Representation

Phil McCracken here, and I found an invoice wearing a necktie. The federal government awarded Our Rescue, formerly known as Operation Underground Railroad, a contract worth up to $244 million to provide legal representation for unaccompanied migrant children. That is a serious public mission, the kind that should begin with demonstrated legal capacity, careful oversight, and enough qualified people to handle the work. Instead, Axios reported that the organization had not previously handled legal services on a similar scale. In Washington, apparently, the résumé can skip “lawyer” if it says “politically useful” loudly enough.

The federal contract notice establishes the size and purpose of the opportunity. Axios described the arrangement as no-bid and reported that the contract was tied to representing children in immigration proceedings. Federal law recognizes that unaccompanied children need legal representation, which makes the assignment more than a branding exercise with a government logo attached. These are vulnerable kids navigating a complicated system, not a ribbon-cutting ceremony where a dramatic backstory can substitute for operational capacity.

Then comes the arithmetic. Axios reported that Our Rescue had $37.3 million in operating expenses in 2025. That does not prove wrongdoing, and it does not automatically tell us whether the organization can perform the work. It does establish the basic question taxpayers are entitled to ask: what exactly qualifies a group for a potential $244 million legal-services mission when comparable experience at that scale was reportedly absent?

This is the Washington habit I keep finding when I follow the invoice: political access, ideological branding, and public visibility get polished until they resemble competence under fluorescent lighting. The procurement file may be perfectly legible while the accountability remains written in disappearing ink. Nobody should confuse a disputed résumé with a criminal finding. But nobody should confuse a powerful résumé with proof that the children will receive competent representation either.

The people paying this bill deserve more than a politically impressive organization name and a promise that the paperwork has been reviewed somewhere in the building. The children deserve lawyers who can do the job. The government owes both groups a clear explanation of qualifications, staffing, oversight, and performance. Otherwise, the most experienced professional in the room may be the invoice itself—arriving early, dressed for television, and billing the public by the page.