Judge Blocks Trump Admin From Banning Illegal Immigrants From Social Programs - BERITAJA

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On September 10, a federal judge issued an order preventing four U.S. agencies from enforcing a new policy that sought to exclude undocumented immigrants from federal programs such as Head Start, which provides early childhood education and care for low-income families.

The ruling, delivered by U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy, applies to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Justice, the Department of Education, and the Department of Labor. The judge directed the agencies to suspend, at least temporarily, efforts to reinterpret eligibility requirements for federal programs.

The agencies had announced in July that they were reinterpreting the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), a 1996 law that bars undocumented immigrants from receiving federal public benefits. Under long-standing practice, applicants for certain programs were not required to provide proof of legal status, as those programs were not considered subject to the restriction.

A coalition of 20 state attorneys general filed suit, arguing that the administration’s revised interpretation was unlawful. They contended that the change extended beyond what the statute covers, conflicted with decades of precedent, and lacked adequate notice to states.

In granting a preliminary injunction, Judge McElroy found the agencies’ reasoning insufficient, noting that the shift appeared inconsistent with the Administrative Procedure Act, which prohibits agency actions deemed arbitrary or not in accordance with law. She emphasized that the government’s reversal after nearly thirty years raised questions about its legal justification.

According to the ruling, the government’s position implied that every prior administration had misapplied the statute until the new interpretation was introduced, a claim the court described as doubtful.

The four agencies cited a previous presidential directive instructing officials to ensure taxpayer-funded benefits were not extended to undocumented immigrants, but they did not issue public comment in response to the decision.

State officials who challenged the policy described the ruling as a protection of access to health care, education, and social safety programs for families and children affected by the attempted change.