WASHINGTON (TNND) — A federal judge in California ordered the Trump administration Tuesday to temporarily restore legal aid for unaccompanied migrant minors.

On March 21, the administration terminated a contract with the Acacia Center for Justice, which provides legal services for unaccompanied migrant children under 18 through a network of legal aid groups that subcontract with the center. Eleven subcontractor groups sued, saying that 26,000 children were at risk of losing their attorneys; Acacia is not a plaintiff.

The groups argued that the government has an obligation under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to provide vulnerable children with legal counsel. The act created special protections for migrant children who cannot navigate a complex immigration system on their own.

“The administration’s decision to partially terminate this program flies in the face of decades of work and bipartisan cooperation spent ensuring children who have been trafficked or are at risk of trafficking have child-friendly legal representatives protecting their legal rights and interests," said Shaina Aber, executive director of the Acacia Center for Justice. "Children with counsel are empowered with the information and assistance that helps protect them from serious harm or dangerous situations – whether in government custody or in communities. Children’s counsel keep youth engaged in their court process while ensuring they know they can disclose sensitive and painful facts about their life experiences to immigration judges."

U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín of San Francisco said in her order that the advocates raised "serious questions" about whether the administration violated the law and warranted a return to the status quo while the case continues.

"The Court additionally finds that the continued funding of legal representation for unaccompanied children promotes efficiency and fairness within the immigration system," the judge wrote.

The order will go into effect Wednesday and last through at least April 16.

Aber applauded the efforts of Congressman Jason Crow and Congressman Dan Goldman for leading a group of nearly 100 House members in a letter demanding that Health and Human Services and the Department of the Interior restore the Unaccompanied Children Program’s contract for legal services.

"We are grateful for the leadership of Representatives Crow and Goldman in defending the right of children who are navigating the immigration system alone to receive child-tailored legal orientations and a chance at representation as mandated under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2008 and Federal Regulation."

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Editor's note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.