WASHINGTON, D.C. — A federal judge has blocked an attempt by the Trump administration to prevent children in the country illegally from enrolling in the federally funded Head Start preschool program.
The ruling halts a White House directive that sought to exclude undocumented children from accessing Head Start, which has served low-income families for more than 60 years.
Loyola Law Professor Laurie Levinson said the judge found that federal law does not explicitly bar undocumented immigrants from participating in the program and that proper procedures were not followed when the administration tried to block access.
“It’s not clear under the currently written law that in fact these immigrants should not have access to Head Start,” Levinson said.
She added that the Trump administration has taken the position that “illegal immigrants need to be detected and not given access to any type of federally funded programs.”
The decision comes as Head Start continues to face steep budget cuts this year, raising concerns about the program’s long-term future.