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The Hill
19 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
21 states sue over undocumented immigrants' access to health, safety net programs
A group of 21 attorneys general filed a Monday lawsuit against the Trump administration over a February executive order that ousts undocumented immigrants from social service programs. Under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, Labor and Justice have reworked requirements to gain access to federal services effective July 10. Many programs, including Head Start, an early education opportunity for low-income parents, will ensure participants are subject to immigration verification. New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) is frontlining the effort to combat new policies alongside colleagues from Wisconsin, Maine, Nevada, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota and New Mexico, in addition to other states. 'These rules took effect immediately or with little notice, bypassing public input and ignoring real-world consequences. The policies apply not just to undocumented immigrants, but also to some people with legal status, including student visa holders, temporary workers, and exchange visitors,' James's office said in a Monday press release. 'In addition, the attorneys general warn that even U.S. citizens and lawful residents could be denied services, as many low-income individuals lack government-issued identification,' they added. The White House did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment on the matter. However, the February executive order entitled, 'Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders,' said current social service operations undermine the principles and limitations outlined by Congress in the PRWORA law. Title IV of the PRWORA says it is policy that undocumented immigrants 'not depend on public resources to meet their needs,' and urges the government 'to remove the incentive for illegal immigration provided by the availability of public benefits,' as written in a White House release. 'My Administration will uphold the rule of law, defend against the waste of hard-earned taxpayer resources, and protect benefits for American citizens in need, including individuals with disabilities and veterans,' President Trump wrote in the order. The Trump administration pledged to undertake the largest mass deportation effort in the country's history. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has acted on the initiative and increased raids in local hospitals, churches and places of employment. The president also signed the 'big, beautiful bill' into law on July 4, mandating a larger allotment for immigration enforcement efforts and cutting Medicaid funding for states that support undocumented immigrants.
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
No papers, no preschool: 21 states sue Trump over immigrant service ban
A political firestorm has erupted as 21 Democratic attorneys general have taken the Trump administration to court over what they call a brutal assault on community safety nets. The lawsuit, filed Monday, targets new federal restrictions that deny access to key services—such as Head Start, public health clinics, and adult education—to immigrants without legal status. Spearheaded by New York Attorney General Letitia James, the coalition argues the administration bypassed legal protocols and is imposing changes that will not only devastate immigrant families but jeopardize essential services for American citizens as well. 'These programs work because they are open, accessible, and grounded in compassion,' James said in a statement. 'This is a baseless attack on some of our country's most effective and inclusive public programs, and we will not let it stand.' From care to compliance The rule changes, announced jointly by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, Labor, and Justice, represent a stark reversal of Clinton-era policies that allowed community-based programs to serve families regardless of immigration status. Now, providers receiving federal funds must check documentation before offering support. This shift places enormous burdens on local organizations, many of which run on razor-thin budgets. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo The lawsuit warns, 'It is likely that for some programs, the costs of compliance will be so high as to lead to the programs' closure.' Programs like Head Start, which provide preschool education, child care, and developmental services to homeless or impoverished families, have historically never required proof of immigration status. The new demand for verification, they argue, could unravel decades of progress in early childhood intervention. Collateral damage: American families The coalition's legal brief doesn't just highlight harm to undocumented individuals, it paints a broader picture of widespread fallout. Schools, mental health centers, addiction treatment clinics, and domestic violence hotlines, all partially federally funded, could see services disrupted or defunded due to their inability to verify immigration status quickly or legally. Such mandates, the lawsuit argues, are not only unrealistic but dangerous. By forcing organizations to act as de facto immigration agents, the administration risks driving vulnerable populations underground, including American citizens in mixed-status families. Legality in question Central to the lawsuit is a pointed accusation: that the administration violated the Administrative Procedure Act by circumventing the required rulemaking process and failing to provide public notice or invite stakeholder input. Legal experts warn that if this move goes unchallenged, it could open the door to unchecked executive overreach, where vital federal funds come with ever-changing political strings attached. Ideology over infrastructure Supporters of the administration say the rules simply ensure taxpayer dollars are used lawfully. But critics argue this isn't about budgets, it's about political messaging. With the 2024 immigration debate still reverberating through Washington, this move appears aimed at energizing a base that equates enforcement with exclusion. In doing so, the administration risks dismantling local programs that serve as lifelines for the country's poorest and most marginalized communities. What comes next As the legal battle unfolds, the fate of countless community organizations hangs in the balance. If the rules are enforced, many may be forced to shut their doors, not because they failed in mission, but because they couldn't meet the paperwork. This isn't just a dispute about funding. It's a confrontation over values: Whether America's public services exist to uplift or to divide, to include or to exclude. For millions of families, citizen and non-citizen alike, the outcome of this case may decide more than policy. It may decide survival. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
Dem AGs sue over citizenship-based cuts to Head Start, health care
"For decades, states like New York have built health, education, and family support systems that serve anyone in need," New York Attorney General Letitia James, a longtime Trump critic, said in announcing the lawsuit. "These programs work because they are open, accessible, and grounded in compassion. Now, the federal government is pulling that foundation out from under us overnight, jeopardizing cancer screenings, early childhood education, primary care, and so much more. This is a baseless attack on some of our country's most effective and inclusive public programs, and we will not let it stand." The AGs are asking a federal judge to block the rule change before anyone loses services. They argue that checking citizenship might be too onerous for some smaller service providers, prompting them to close rather than risk punishment for accidentally violating the new rules. The Trump administration argues the law has always banned non-citizens from getting such services, and says the new interpretation will save taxpayers $40 billion. Many federal programs, including the one formerly known as food stamps, are already limited to citizens and legal residents only. "For too long, the government has diverted hardworking Americans' tax dollars to incentivize illegal immigration," Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement on July 10, the day the new approach was announced. "Today's action changes that - it restores integrity to federal social programs, enforces the rule of law, and protects vital resources for the American people." Advocates say it remains unclear how many people would lose services under the new rules, which potentially halt services in households of mixed immigration status. Many of these programs do not currently ask for immigration status. Head Start would see an estimated $374 million redirected nationally, which could be available to other Americans, according to the Health and Human Services department. The moves are part of Trump's ongoing immigration crackdown, which has seen the borders tightened and more aggressive detention and deportation of people living in the United States without permission. Trump is also seeking to remove birthright citizenship from children born to many immigrant families who today qualify for programs like Head Start or community healthcare. Joining New York in filing the lawsuit were the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. Wrote the attorneys general: "For the first time, millions of people are facing a new demand before they can access the nation's most essential programs: 'Show me your papers.'" Many of the same attorneys general have also sued the Trump administration over federal funding cuts, withheld research grants, student visa changes, and the president's plan to end birthright citizenship.
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Health
- Boston Globe
R.I., Mass., among states suing Trump administration over immigration status-based restrictions to safety net programs
The lawsuit, filed in US District Court in Providence, asks the court to halt the new federal rules and act quickly to ensure continued access to the social services programs. 'For the first time, millions of people are facing a new demand before they can access the Nation's most essential programs: 'show me your papers,'' the lawsuit states. 'This is not America, and it is not the law.' Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up Rhode Island Attorney General Advertisement 'By changing the rules with no notice, agencies and organizations that receive federal funding for critical services must quickly pivot or risk shuttering,' Neronha said in a statement. 'For example, if access to mental health and substance use disorder services is lessened or eliminated, already overburdened hospitals across the country could become further overwhelmed. These federal funding streams are critically important to the health and well-being of all Rhode Islanders, as well as our health care system, and we will fight to ensure they remain uninterrupted.' Advertisement Attorneys general from every New England state except New Hampshire joined the lawsuit, along with Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawai'i, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Wisconsin, Washington, and the District of Columbia. People in the country illegally are ineligible for federal public benefits such as food stamps, student loans and financial aid for higher education. However, they have been able to access community-level programs. And, for nearly 30 years and through five presidential administrations, according to the lawsuit, the federal government was consistent on the requirements of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, known as PRWORA. States needed to verify a person's lawful status before allowing them to access certain federal programs, such as Medicaid and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. At the same time, the federal agencies told the states that PRWORA didn't require them to check someone's papers to allow them access to other community programs, such as food banks, Head Start, shelters, or rehabilitation clinics. Not anymore. On July 10, the US Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, Labor, and Justice changed the rules. The new rules restrict states from using federal funds to provide services to individuals who cannot verify immigration status. That means state safety net programs — soup kitchens, domestic violence shelters, Head Start, crisis counseling centers, senior nutrition programs, health centers in schools — must screen for immigration status. Under the new rules, undocumented immigrants will be prevented from Advertisement The Departments of Education and Labor placed education and workforce training programs within the statute's scope. The rules took effect with minimal notice and affect not only undocumented immigrants, but also, Neronha said, some lawful visa holders and even US citizens who lack access to formal documentation. The state programs are expected to comply immediately, but most providers can't implement major regulatory changes overnight, so they face losing federal funding. Neronha said these abrupt restrictions could impact the 'tens of millions' of dollars funding programs related to opioid treatment, homeless services, and mental health program in all public schools in Rhode Island, according to the state Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals. Funding changes to those community programs could lead to a health care crisis. The lawsuit argues that the federal government acted unlawfully by issuing these changes without following required procedures under the Administrative Procedure Act, and by misapplying PRWORA to entire programs rather than to individual benefits. The changes also violate the Constitution's Spending Clause by imposing new funding conditions on states without fair notice or consent. The coalition is asking the court to declare the new rules unlawful, halt their implementation through preliminary and permanent injunctions, vacate the rules and restore the long-standing agency practice, and prevent the federal government from using PRWORA as a pretext to dismantle core safety net programs in the future. Amanda Milkovits can be reached at
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawsuit challenges restrictions on Head Start for kids in the US illegally
WASHINGTON (AP) — A coalition of 21 Democratic state attorneys general filed a lawsuit Monday challenging the Trump administration's restrictions on social services for immigrants in the country illegally, including the federal preschool program Head Start, health clinics and adult education. Individual public benefits, such as food stamps and college financial aid, have been largely unavailable to people in the country without legal status, but the new rules and guidance from the administration curbed their access to community-level programs that receive federal money. The lawsuit led by New York Attorney General Letitia James argues the government failed to follow the rulemaking process and did not provide required notice on conditions placed on federal funds. It also argues the changes will create significant harm. 'These programs work because they are open, accessible, and grounded in compassion,' James said in a statement. 'This is a baseless attack on some of our country's most effective and inclusive public programs, and we will not let it stand.' The rule changes rescinded a Clinton-era interpretation of federal laws on immigrants ' access to services. The restrictions were announced jointly earlier this month by the Department of Health and Human Services, the Education Department, the Department of Labor and the Department of Justice. Implementing immigration documentation checks would place a significant burden on programs and in some cases would be unrealistic, the lawsuit said. The extra work would likely affect services provided by these programs to U.S. citizens, who are often from low-income backgrounds and depend on the services for health and education, the lawsuit said. Head Start, a federal preschool program that provides developmental therapy, child care and preschool to families who are homeless or in poverty, has not asked participants to verify their immigration status in the past. Some Head Start providers said they do not have the staff or resources to begin implementing such screening. 'It is likely that for some programs, the costs of compliance will be so high as to lead to the programs' closure,' the lawsuit said. 'Many Head Start programs are small entities that operate on razor-thin margins and are likely to close if facing a significant administrative burden.' Other community-level programs affected by the rule change include mental health services in schools, crisis hotlines and substance use disorder treatment. ___ The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at Solve the daily Crossword
