California and 20 other states filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for barring undocumented immigrants from more than a dozen public benefit programs, including the Head Start preschool program, adult education, mental health and substance addiction programs, and shelters for at-risk youth and domestic violence survivors.
“Let’s be clear: This latest salvo in the President’s inhumane anti-immigration campaign primarily goes after working moms and their young children,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a press release. “We’re not talking about waste, fraud, and abuse, we’re talking about programs that deliver essential childcare, healthcare, nutrition and education assistance, programs that have for decades been open to all because we understand that we are better off when everyone has the chance to succeed.”
The decision by President Donald Trump is contrary to law and a reversal of three decades of federal practice, according to the press release. Undocumented immigrants are already barred from using most federal programs, but since 1997, the federal government has permitted states to use federal funds to provide certain programs based on need regardless of immigration status:
- Short-term shelter or housing assistance.
- Programs, services or assistance to help individuals during adverse weather conditions.
- Soup kitchens, community food banks, senior nutrition programs, and other nutritional services for persons requiring special assistance.
- Medical and public health services and mental health, disability, or substance use treatment.
- Early childhood education, child care services for low-income people, and adult education programs.
This story originally appeared in EdSource.