The Trump administration has halted a program that provided lawyers to nearly 26,000 immigrant children, some too young to read or speak, who are or were under the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.

"The children, about 4,000 of whom live in California, face deportation, and many don't have parents or legal guardians in the country," noted the report.

The Interior Department on Tuesday ordered the Acacia Center for Justice, which coordinates the federally funded program that paid the attorneys, "to stop work." In its letter, the agency cited contracting rules to justify the program's suspension, but did not offer clear reasons why.

"Since taking office, the Trump administration has sought to weaken portions of the immigration system that support detainees," said the report, adding that "the orders come as an administration advisory group, which billionaire aide Elon Musk calls the Department of Government Efficiency, has been firing federal workers throughout the government and eliminating programs that it says don't align with the administration's objectives."

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2008 created special protections for unaccompanied minors who arrive in the U.S., stating that the government should facilitate legal representation for the children put into deportation proceedings, though it did not mandate every child receive a lawyer.

"You have these kids who are thrust into this adult-like situation with very severe consequences," said Jennifer Podkul, vice president for policy and advocacy at Kids In Need of Defense, citing that about 50 percent of children have legal representation in immigration court.

Attorneys and experts warned that without legal aid, children could be stuck in the system or disappear off the grid, and cases wouldn't be processed.

Melissa L. Lopez, executive director of Texas-based Estrella del Paso, a group that receives funding through the program that was suspended, said they have a legal and ethical obligation to continue helping the estimated 2,000 children they represent.

"We will do what is best for our clients," Lopez said. She added that her organization also gives legal presentations in shelters to inform children of their rights, but has been barred from doing that.

"They will be expected to go to court alone and uninformed," she said.

(With input from agencies)