By BIANCA VÁZQUEZ TONESS, Associated Press
The Trump administration has accused states and schools of misusing federal education grants meant for immigrants’ children and low-income students to support what they deem as a “radical leftwing agenda.”
This week, the administration has decided to withhold over $6 billion allocated for after-school and summer programs, English language instruction, adult literacy, and more. They have stated that they will review these grants to ensure they align with President Donald Trump’s priorities. This sudden freeze has left schools and summer camp providers scrambling to determine the future of programs like day camps for this summer or after-hours child care for the fall.
The Office of Management and Budget has indicated that an initial review found instances where the grant money was used to support immigrants without legal status or promote LGBTQ+ inclusivity. They have not yet made final decisions on whether to release or withhold specific grants.
The Office of Management and Budget stated in a release, “Many of these grant programs have been misused to advance a radical leftwing agenda.”
According to the administration, schools in New York used funds meant for English language instruction to support organizations advocating for immigrants without legal status. Washington state directed immigrants without legal status towards scholarships intended for American students. Grant money was also reportedly used for a seminar on “queer resistance in the arts.”
Officials from New York and Washington state have not responded to requests for comments.
Advocates for low-income and immigrant children see this grant freeze as part of the Trump administration’s broader crackdown on immigrants. Two of the federal programs put on hold were designated to help support English proficiency for students still learning the language and migrant children who move with their parents for various job opportunities.
The $890 million earmarked for English learners is used for a variety of purposes by school districts, from training teachers’ aides to running summer schools tailored for them. The $375 million allocated for migrant education often goes towards hiring teachers dedicated to working with students who move frequently.
Amaya Garcia, from the think tank New America, believes that the administration is unfairly linking all students learning English with people in the country illegally by highlighting extreme cases. Data from the Migration Policy Institute shows that the majority of English learners in public schools were born in the United States.
Margarita Machado-Casas, president of the National Association of Bilingual Educators, criticizes the administration for framing the issue as using money for undocumented students when it actually affects millions of English learners of diverse backgrounds.
Despite legal challenges, states cannot deny public education to children in the country illegally, as established by the 1982 Supreme Court ruling in Plyler v. Doe. Some conservative politicians have questioned this ruling, challenging the right of immigrants without legal residency to public education.
As states and school districts grapple with the implications of these withheld funds, there is uncertainty about the impact on students and staff if the grants are never released.
In Oregon, the removal of grants for English learners and migrant students could undermine efforts to improve academic outcomes for multilingual students and provide support to mobile and vulnerable student groups.
Associated Press writer Collin Binkley contributed from Washington.
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