The Trump administration has taken another direct aim at immigrant children and their access to early education – and we need your help. 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a notice on July 10th that reinterprets longstanding guidance under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA – also known as the Welfare Reform Act of 1996) to newly designate Head Start, along with 12 other Health and Human Services programs not previously identified, as a federal public benefit subject to immigration restrictions. In plain language, programs serving immigrant children and families are being targeted in order to severely eliminate and weaken their ability to serve immigrant families.  Again, we need your help.

Why does this matter? Instead of following nearly 30-year-old guidance recognizing that Head Start is an education program, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is trying to reclassify it as a “federal public benefit,” which would suddenly block many immigrant children from qualifying. And they are subverting the normal rulemaking process to enact their anti-immigrant agenda.

PRWORA defines and determines eligibility for “public benefits”– only citizens and “qualified aliens” are eligible to receive public benefits. Please note the term “qualified alien” is the term used in the law, not our word choice. The definition of "qualified alien" does not include DACA, temporary protected status, and undocumented people. HHS’s reinterpretation of this law will now DENY access to immigrant families to critical health and education programs – including Head Start, Dual Language Learner programs, community health centers, care for mental health and substance abuse disorders, and Title X family planning services. This is punitive, cruel and counterproductive – and continues on the administration’s quest to dismantle government, stoke fear, and create chaos in communities. 

They are using anti-immigrant propaganda and scare tactics to falsely justify the need to change enrollment eligibility for Head Start immediately. That means many young children who should have access to the early education and essential services that Head Start provides could be left out. For 60 years, Head Start has invested in young children’s education and health, generating significant and enduring positive outcomes for the children themselves and our communities as a whole. Head Start provides a stable foundation for children to grow and learn, and ultimately do well in school and in life. Programs like Migrant and Seasonal Head Start are designed specifically for children of farm workers and seasonal workers to ensure they have access to early care and education. All of that is now at risk. 

→ What can we do? There is a 30 day comment window ending on August 13, 2025 and we need a show of force that these egregious and harmful policies are out of step with the world we want for our children, families, and communities. Head Start remains a popular non-partisan program, but as we have seen since the start of this year, is vulnerable to attacks if we do not keep the pressure up. The more comments that are submitted, the harder it will be to complete this change in the shadows. So after you submit your comment, recruit at least one friend or family member to submit a comment, too. Together, we can help protect Head Start from attacks! Your voice and your comment matters!

→ How can you help? Send in your own comment using our toolkit here! Questions?