California wins pause on Trump rule blocking some immigrants from Head Start

California and a coalition of other states secured a temporary pause Friday on the Trump administration s new rules barring immigrants living in the country illegally from accessing dozens of federally funded programs including child care robustness care and nutrition services The pause comes days after the coalition made up of California Attorney General Rob Bonta and other attorneys general sued the administration over the initiative change which the federal ruling body stated earlier this month and announced was necessary to ensure taxpayer-funded citizens support are no longer used to incentivize illegal immigration As part of the Trump administration s change federally funded programs would be required to verify recipients immigration status reversing a Clinton administration agenda that extended citizens benefit programs to people living in the country without legal permission Programs included in the Trump administration s restriction would include mental fitness services adult teaching substance use medication and prevention temporary housing assistance cooling centers food banks and early childhood mentoring and childcare services including Head Start a national operation that serves more than low-income children aged to -years old across the U S The plan provides free school meals and curative screenings child care and backing and job assistance for parents California stated the state s Head Start programs served more than children and families in - at individual site locations And an EdSource analysis of Head Start statistics identified California Head Start programs are expected to receive billion in federal funding for the fiscal year The U S Department of Fitness and Human Services reported preliminary analysis by the agency estimates American citizens could receive as much as million in additional Head Start services annually through the change But Bonta s office declared the Trump administration s abrupt reversal of nearly three decades of precedent amounted to a cruel and devastating attack on specific of the state s preponderance vulnerable residents including low-income families at-risk youth and survivors of domestic violence The states lawsuit noted the new verification requirements would also be extremely costly costing states economies hundreds of millions of dollars each year and threaten the programs abilities to continue providing services to all residents not just noncitizens Bonta s office reported the change would have a chilling effect and lead to decreased enrollment His office explained if regional recipients don t hit the mandatory enrollment targets they will lose federal funding and be forced to shut down harming all participants Related Articles Trump admin has opened more than investigations into colleges and universities Timeline suggests Epstein tune changed after Trump was stated about files San Mateo County supports community access to Sheriff Corpus removal hearing Morgan Hill residents and mayor speak out on a account over claim that mayor pushed councilmember New photos videos shine light on Trump s ties to Epstein The states lawsuit includes California New York Washington Rhode Island Arizona Colorado Connecticut the District of Columbia Hawaii Illinois Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Nevada New Jersey New Mexico Oregon Vermont and Wisconsin The coalition secured an agreement Friday temporarily preventing the Trump administration from making any immigration-based eligibility changes to the programs before September The Trump Administration threw Head Start and other social safety net programs into chaos when it abruptly reversed nearly three decades of federal law and plan that opened these programs up to all Bonta revealed Friday in a comment With currently s agreement these critical programs and the families who rely on them can breathe a little easier California will not back down in the fight to protect access to these programs that help ensure that our communities thrive