Trump administration bars undocumented children from Head Start program

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The Trump administration is moving to restrict access to a long-standing early childhood education program, Head Start, for immigrants in the country illegally, federal officials announced Thursday.
The change is part of a broader push to limit public benefits for undocumented immigrants. It marks a reversal of a decades-old policy that allowed access to some community-level services even for those without legal status, including federally funded health centers and educational programs. The new rules reclassify Head Start as a federal public benefit, which under federal law excludes undocumented immigrants from participation.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the decision aims to preserve resources for American citizens.
"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."
How will the policy affect families and schools?
What we know:
Eligibility for Head Start will now be determined based on the child’s immigration status, according to a spokesperson for the Administration for Children and Families.
Other departments, including Education, Agriculture, and Labor, are issuing similar changes, cutting off access to workforce development, career training, and adult education programs.
What we don't know:
Community health centers that serve a large share of undocumented patients are also affected under the new classification.
It remains unclear whether children born in the U.S. to undocumented parents will be impacted in practice.

File: Children of immigrants rejoin their parents following "homework club" at a community center on April 3, 2025 at an undisclosed location, Connecticut. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
The administration has not said how it plans to verify immigration status or how enforcement will be handled by local grantees.
There’s also uncertainty about how quickly these changes will be implemented across all 50 states.
What they're saying:
Advocates say the decision could frighten immigrant families away from seeking critical early childhood services, even if their children qualify.
"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," said Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the National Head Start Association.
Shelby Gonzales, vice president of immigration policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said cutting off access to community health centers could have life-or-death consequences.
"People depend on those services to get cancer treatment, to get ongoing maintenance for a variety of different health needs," she told the Associated Press.
Augustus Mays, vice president at EdTrust, said the policy is rooted in politics.
"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."
Why you should care:
Head Start has existed since the 1960s as part of the federal government’s effort to reduce poverty. It provides preschool, therapy, nutrition assistance, and child care for low-income families.
The program operates in all 50 states and has long been considered a bipartisan investment in early education and long-term development.
Restricting access could affect children who were born in the U.S. but whose parents are undocumented—raising concerns about the chilling effect on participation across immigrant communities.
The Source: This article is based on reporting from The Associated Press, which included statements from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Administration for Children and Families, and policy experts from the National Head Start Association, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and EdTrust. All quotes were taken directly from AP interviews and official statements.