Trump Ends Head Start Program For 'Illegal Aliens,' Moves To Cut Clinton-Era Postsecondary Aid And Other Federal Benefits

The Trump administration has announced that undocumented immigrants will no longer be eligible for various federal programs.

What Happened: The Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., revealed on Thursday that immigrants residing in the U.S. illegally will be barred from accessing the Head Start program and several other federal benefits and programs.

“Head Start is among the programs included in the updated and expanded list of classified "Federal public benefits" under PRWORA to ensure enrollment in Head Start is reserved for American citizens from now on,” stated the official statement.

The impacted programs, such as homelessness assistance, Title X family planning, substance abuse treatment, and mental health services—generally base eligibility on income and other verification criteria rather than immigration status.

Furthermore, the Department of Education (DOE) has announced that undocumented immigrants will no longer be eligible for taxpayer-funded benefits for postsecondary education programs. This move comes after the repeal of a former President Bill Clinton-era “Dear Colleague” letter that had permitted certain undocumented individuals to receive federal public benefits.

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon stated, “Postsecondary education programs funded by the federal government should benefit American citizens, not illegal aliens.”

See Also: XRP Breaks Above $2.40 For First Time Since May: How High Can It Go?

Why It Matters: The Trump administration’s move to restrict federal benefits for undocumented immigrants comes amid a series of policy changes. These changes have sparked a debate on the administration’s approach to immigration and its impact on various sectors.

The administration’s aggressive immigration policy, backed by a $45 billion budget, has boosted profits for private prisons, while also drawing criticism from some quarters.

Meanwhile, former Secretary of State John Kerry recently acknowledged that the Democratic party had “missed” on the issue of immigration, conceding that “Trump was right” about the need for strict enforcement of immigration laws.

Read Next:

• Trump Administration’s ICE Raids Compared With WWII Japanese Internment Camps By George Takei: ‘Politicians Lie, And People Believe That Lie’

Image via Shutterstock

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.