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The Department of Education announced Thursday it will revoke a decades-old policy that allowed immigrants in the country illegally to access taxpayer-funded technical and career training programs.
The move, reversing guidance issued during the Clinton administration, is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to restrict federal benefits to U.S. citizens and lawful residents.
In a notice to federally funded postsecondary programs, the department said it would no longer interpret eligibility rules based on a 1997 memo that exempted specific education programs from immigration-related restrictions.
“Postsecondary education programs funded by the federal government should benefit American citizens, not illegal aliens,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, hardworking American taxpayers will no longer foot the bill for illegal aliens to participate in our career, technical, or adult education programs,” she added.
The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act generally bars immigrants without legal status from receiving federal public benefits. However, the 1997 “Dear Colleague” letter had allowed exceptions for programs like adult education and technical training.
The department said the Clinton-era guidance “mischaracterized the law” by drawing distinctions between programs based on how assistance is distributed. It added that federal grant recipients have an obligation to verify participant eligibility. The new interpretation will take effect Aug. 9.
The announcement follows a series of actions by the Trump administration aimed at cutting education-related benefits for undocumented immigrants. On June 30, the administration rescinded nearly $7 billion in federal grants tied to English language instruction, saying the money was being misused to promote ideological agendas and, in some cases, serve immigrants without legal status.
The administration has also taken legal action against states that offer in-state tuition to undocumented students or adopt policies shielding them from federal immigration enforcement.
The new effort also follows the Trump administration’s announcement Thursday that immigrants living in the country illegally will no longer be eligible for Head Start and other federally funded programs.
The Departments of Health and Human Services, Agriculture and Labor notified their partners of the change, clarifying the administration’s interpretation of what constitutes a “federal public benefit,” according to The Wall Street Journal.
Under new guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services, illegal immigrants will be barred from enrolling their children in the Head Start early childhood education program. The revised policy also restricts access to services such as homeless assistance, Title X family planning programs, mental health services and substance abuse treatment.