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4w ago

ACLU Sues Trump Administration Over Efforts to Dismantle Head Start Program

The lawsuit challenges funding cuts, office closures, and anti-DEI directives, alleging violations of congressional authority and constitutional rights.

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Teacher’s aid Crystal Bennett plays with students in an Early Head Start room at Start Early, Educare Chicago, a nonprofit public-private partnership, on April 8, 2025. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
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Overview

  • The ACLU filed a lawsuit on April 29 on behalf of six Head Start organizations, alleging the Trump administration's actions to defund and restructure the program violate the Head Start Act and constitutional protections.
  • The lawsuit targets the administration's recent executive order removing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, calling it vague, unconstitutional, and harmful to program quality.
  • Head Start, which serves 800,000 low-income families nationwide, has faced funding delays, staff layoffs, and the closure of five regional offices, including one overseeing California, since January.
  • A leaked draft HHS budget proposes eliminating all federal funding for Head Start by 2026, prompting concerns from advocates about the program's survival and its impact on vulnerable families.
  • The Department of Health and Human Services has not commented on the lawsuit, while advocates emphasize the program's critical role in supporting early education, health services, and economic stability for families.