WASHINGTON About two weeks ago, as the White House Office of Management and Budget was reaching out to federal agencies about their budget proposals, the head of the Legal Services Corporation began to worry. The LSC, an independent nonprofit established by Congress in 1974, provides legal assistance to impoverished Americans, funding 134 civil legal aid programs across the county. As other federal agencies were in communication with the Trump administration about their budgets, LSC had been in the dark.

We didnt hear anything, we got no response at all to our request, said LSC president Jim Sandman . It seemed to be a signal, and it turned out it was.

The Trump administration unveiled its budget proposal on Thursday , suggesting Congress fully eliminate funding for LSC. Legal Services Corporation had requested $502 million for fiscal year 2017, and had been given $385 million in the 2016 fiscal year. That works out to just over $1.20 per American per year.

The American Bar Association said the organizations leaders were outraged that the funding was eliminated in Trumps proposed budget. LSC provides civil legal aid to people who desperately need help to navigate the legal process. Without this assistance, court house doors will slam in the faces of millions of Americans, denying them equal access to justice, the ABA said in a press release .