Latest news with #federalbenefits
Reuters
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Democratic AGs sue to bar immigration requirements for Head Start and other federal programs
CHICAGO, July 21 (Reuters) - More than 20 Democratic attorneys general on Monday sued to block a Trump administration policy that bars migrants living in the U.S. illegally from accessing federally-funded programs for low-income families that provide early childhood education, food and healthcare, saying it could force the programs to shutter altogether. The attorneys general from states, including New York, California and Illinois, filed the lawsuit in federal court in Providence, Rhode Island, asking the court to block policies announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Justice and several other agencies outlined in memos released earlier this month. They argue the policies, which implement an immigration-focused executive order from Republican President Donald Trump are unconstitutional and were issued without following the required federal rulemaking process. The directives require programs to check participants' immigration status before providing services, or risk losing critical federal funding, the lawsuit said. The requirements went into effect almost immediately after the directives were issued, leaving the programs scrambling to find ways to comply so they can stay open, it said. Immigrants in the country illegally have generally been ineligible for most federal benefits, but until the memos were issued, some programs providing healthcare, food and early childcare education were not treated as restricted federal benefits. Additionally, the policy also applies to some people who are in the country legally, like those with student visas, and could harm U.S. citizens without government identification, they said. New York Attorney General Letitia James said her state's Head Start program receives approximately $700 million in federal funding to provide early childhood education to nearly 43,000 children. Many providers in the program have said they may not have the capacity to screen participants' immigration status, putting the funding at risk. 'This is a baseless attack on some of our country's most effective and inclusive public programs, and we will not let it stand,' New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. The DOJ did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for HHS said the agency does not comment on pending litigation. In a statement earlier this month, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr said his agency was making the change to disincentivize illegal immigration. The lawsuit asks the court to halt the policy and vacate it. The agencies announced the policy beginning on July 10, saying it was part of their effort to follow a February Trump executive order. The executive order, 'Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders,' said a 1996 federal law governing federal benefits prevented their use by people in the country illegally. The attorneys general said the Trump administration has misinterpreted the law, applying it to entire programs rather than to individual benefits. The policy also violates the U.S. Constitution's Spending Clause, which requires the federal government to provide fair notice of any conditions on federal funding before states accept it, the group said.
CTV News
16-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Canada Child Benefit payments are increasing starting Friday
Eligible Canadian families will see an increase in federal child benefit payments starting Friday. The maximum amount for the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) payment, which covers the period from July 2025 to June 2026, is increasing by $210 to $7,997 for each child under six years of age, and by $178 to $6,748 for each child between the ages of six and 17, compared to the last benefit year, according to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) on its website. The maximum amounts apply to those with an adjusted family net income of less than $37,487. The payments are recalculated every July and gradually decrease when the adjusted family net income is more than $37,487. The amounts for July 2024 to June 2025 were $7,787 for each child under six and $6,570 for each child six to 17 years old. How are payments calculated? The benefit year runs from July to June of the following year, with payments adjusted every month based on the number of eligible children under a parent's care, the children's age and the adjusted family net income reported in last year's tax return. The CCB is also indexed to inflation, according to the CRA. Each parent with shared custody of the child will get half of the amount they would've received if they had full custody. CCB payments have risen since July 2022, according to information provided on the CRA's website.
Washington Post
10-07-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
Head Start will be cut off for immigrants without legal status, Trump administration says
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration will restrict immigrants in the country illegally from enrolling in Head Start , a federally funded preschool program, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday. The move is part of a broad effort to limit access to federal benefits for immigrants who lack legal status. People in the country illegally are largely ineligible for federal public benefits such as food stamps, student loans and financial aid for higher education. But for decades they have been able to access some community-level programs such as Head Start and community health centers. HHS said it will reclassify those programs as federal public benefits, excluding immigrants in the country illegally from accessing them. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the changes were part of a larger effort to protect American citizens' interests. 'For too long, the government has diverted hardworking Americans' tax dollars to incentivize illegal immigration,' Kennedy said in a statement. '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.' A spokesperson for the Administration for Children and Families, which administers Head Start , said that eligibility will be determined based on the child's immigration status. Requiring proof of immigration status would likely create fear and confusion among families seeking to enroll their children, said Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the National Head Start Association. 'This decision undermines the fundamental commitment that the country has made to children and disregards decades of evidence that Head Start is essential to our collective future,' Vinci said. The changes are part of a multi-agency announcement rescinding an interpretation of federal law dating to former President Bill Clinton's administration, which had allowed immigrants in the country illegally to access some programs. The Education Department, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Labor announced similar changes affecting a range of workforce development and adult education programs. The changes will affect community health centers that immigrants rely on for a wide range of services, said Shelby Gonzales, vice president of immigration policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. 'People depend on those services to get cancer treatment, to get ongoing maintenance for a variety of different health needs,' she said. Students in the country illegally will no longer be eligible to participate in postsecondary career and technical education programs or adult education programs, the Education Department announced. The department also issued a notice to grant recipients to ensure programs receiving federal money do not provide services to immigrants without legal status. Education advocates said the decision would harm young people who have grown up in this country. EdTrust Vice President Augustus Mays said the intention appears to be creating fear among immigrant communities. 'Policies like this don't exist in a vacuum,' Mays said. 'They are rooted in a political agenda that scapegoats immigrants and uses fear to strip rights and resources from the most vulnerable among us.' Head Start was started six decades ago as part of Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty. It operates in all 50 states, providing preschool, developmental therapy and child care for families who are homeless or are in poverty. ___ Associated Press writer Cheyanne Mumphrey in Phoenix contributed to this report. ___ 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
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Head Start will be cut off for immigrants without legal status, Trump administration says
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration will restrict immigrants in the country illegally from enrolling in Head Start, a federally funded preschool program, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday. The move is part of a broad effort to limit access to federal benefits for immigrants who lack legal status. People in the country illegally are largely ineligible for federal public benefits such as food stamps, student loans and financial aid for higher education. But for decades they have been able to access some community-level programs such as Head Start and community health centers. HHS said it will reclassify those programs as federal public benefits, excluding immigrants in the country illegally from accessing them. Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the changes were part of a larger effort to protect American citizens' interests. 'For too long, the government has diverted hardworking Americans' tax dollars to incentivize illegal immigration,' Kennedy said in a statement. '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.' A spokesperson for the Administration for Children and Families, which administers Head Start, said that eligibility will be determined based on the child's immigration status. Requiring proof of immigration status would likely create fear and confusion among families seeking to enroll their children, said Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the National Head Start Association. 'This decision undermines the fundamental commitment that the country has made to children and disregards decades of evidence that Head Start is essential to our collective future,' Vinci said. The changes are part of a multi-agency announcement rescinding a Clinton-era interpretation of federal law, which had allowed immigrants in the country illegally to access some programs. The Education Department, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Labor announced similar changes affecting a range of workforce and adult education programs. The changes will affect community health centers that immigrants rely on for a wide range of services, said Shelby Gonzales, vice president of immigration policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. 'People depend on those services to get cancer treatment, to get ongoing maintenance for a variety of different health needs," she said. Students in the country illegally will no longer be eligible to participate in post-secondary career and technical education programs or adult education programs, the Education Department announced. The department also issued a notice to grant recipients to ensure that programs receiving federal funding do not provide services to immigrants without legal status. Education advocates said the decision would harm young people who have grown up in this country. EdTrust Vice President Augustus Mays said the intention appears to be creating fear among immigrant communities. 'Policies like this don't exist in a vacuum," Mays said. 'They are rooted in a political agenda that scapegoats immigrants and uses fear to strip rights and resources from the most vulnerable among us.' Head Start was started six decades ago as part of Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty. It operates in all 50 states, helping families who are homeless or are in poverty. ___ Associated Press writer Cheyanne Mumphrey in Phoenix contributed to this report. ___ 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
Al Arabiya
10-07-2025
- Health
- Al Arabiya
Head start will be cut off for immigrants without legal status, trump administration says
The Trump administration will restrict immigrants in the country illegally from enrolling in Head Start, a federally funded preschool program, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday. The move is part of a broad effort to limit access to federal benefits for immigrants who lack legal status. People in the country illegally are largely ineligible for federal public benefits such as food stamps, student loans, and financial aid for higher education. But for decades, they have been able to access some community-level programs such as Head Start and community health centers. HHS said it will reclassify those programs as federal public benefits, excluding immigrants in the country illegally from accessing them. Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the changes were part of a larger effort to protect American citizens' interests. 'For too long, the government has diverted hardworking Americans' tax dollars to incentivize illegal immigration,' Kennedy said in a statement. '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.' A spokesperson for the Administration for Children and Families, which administers Head Start, said that eligibility will be determined based on the child's immigration status. Requiring proof of immigration status would likely create fear and confusion among families seeking to enroll their children, said Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the National Head Start Association. 'This decision undermines the fundamental commitment that the country has made to children and disregards decades of evidence that Head Start is essential to our collective future,' Vinci said. The changes are part of a multi-agency announcement rescinding a Clinton-era interpretation of federal law, which had allowed immigrants in the country illegally to access some programs. The Education Department, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Labor announced similar changes affecting a range of workforce and adult education programs. The changes will affect community health centers that immigrants rely on for a wide range of services, said Shelby Gonzales, vice president of immigration policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. 'People depend on those services to get cancer treatment, to get ongoing maintenance for a variety of different health needs,' she said. Students in the country illegally will no longer be eligible to participate in post-secondary career and technical education programs or adult education programs, the Education Department announced. The department also issued a notice to grant recipients to ensure that programs receiving federal funding do not provide services to immigrants without legal status. Education advocates said the decision would harm young people who have grown up in this country. EdTrust Vice President Augustus Mays said, 'The intention appears to be creating fear among immigrant communities.' 'Policies like this don't exist in a vacuum,' Mays said. 'They are rooted in a political agenda that scapegoats immigrants and uses fear to strip rights and resources from the most vulnerable among us.' Head Start was started six decades ago as part of Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty. It operates in all 50 states, helping families who are homeless or are in poverty. ___ 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
