Trump Ends Schooling for Detained Immigrant Kids
About 13,200 minors held in detention facilities will have funding for their educational services, recreational programs and legal aid cut by the federal government.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION is abruptly cutting funding for educational services for detained undocumented children, as well as recreational programs and legal aid. The decision will impact roughly 13,200 minors currently being held in licensed shelters under contract with the federal government. The cuts, which have been widely decried by child welfare advocates, may also be a violation of federal law. Under the Flores agreement, the government is required to provide immigrant minors in its custody with educational services “in a structured classroom setting, Monday through Friday,” and recreational activities “which shall include daily outdoor activity, weather permitting.”
According to the Washington Post, which first reported the story, the rationale for the cuts is financial. The unprecedented number of migrant children in government custody has created tremendous budgetary strains. Meanwhile, federal officials say it may take up to two years to reunite immigrant children who have been separated from their families.
TEACHERS OR CHARTERS? That, according to veteran education writer Jeff Bryant, is the choice that could face Democratic office seekers — including presidential candidates in 2020. The reason, according to Bryant in a piece that first appeared in Truthdig, is the growing CONTINUE READING: Trump Ends Schooling for Detained Immigrant Kids | Capital & Main
