NEW YORK, CMC – The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) has condemned the Trump administration’s plans to limit undocumented Caribbean and different immigrants from enrolling in Head Begin, the federally funded preschool programme, in addition to greater than a dozen completely different programmes.
“The Trump administration is selecting to strip susceptible youngsters of the instruments they should succeed,” Murad Awawdeh, NYIC’s president and chief government officer, instructed the Caribbean Media Company (CMC).
“For many years, programmes like Head Begin have improved the well-being of low-income households by getting ready youngsters for varsity, addressing their cognitive, social-emotional, and bodily improvement.
“Now, the Trump administration is cruelly focusing on undocumented youngsters by barring them from this vital lifeline–an escalation of its anti-immigrant agenda. All youngsters, no matter immigration standing, deserve our care–as a result of they’re youngsters.
“When the federal government denies entry to training, security, and care to the following technology, it doesn’t simply hurt these youngsters; it harms the well being of our communities,” Awawdeh mentioned, including “we demand that the Trump administration instantly reverse this inhumane coverage and shield each youngster’s proper to study, develop, and construct a greater future for themselves”.
The Trump administration introduced its plans late final week to limit undocumented Caribbean and different immigrants from enrolling within the programmes that embrace these centered on substance abuse, psychological well being, drug remedy, and behavioral well being.
The administration issued a brand new interpretation of the Private Duty and Work Alternative Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA).
Below this interpretation—which differs from the one in impact when the legislation was handed—packages meant for the nice of the group are not exempt from guidelines that restrict advantages eligibility to residents and authorized residents.
As an alternative, Awawdeh mentioned eligibility will probably be decided based mostly on immigration standing threatening entry to Head Begin for round 50,000 immigrant households nationally. “The cuts will hurt hundreds of immigrant New Yorkers,” he warned.
Trump had made deportation and restriction of advantages to immigrants the centerpiece of his election marketing campaign. Since taking workplace on January 20, he has centered on the mass deportation of Haitian and different immigrants in his government orders.