Overview

• On July 21, a coalition of more than 20 Democratic attorneys general led by New York’s Letitia James sued in federal court in Providence to seek preliminary and permanent injunctions halting the immediate implementation of the July 10 memos
• The administration’s memos reclassified programs like Head Start, community health centers, school mental health services and crisis hotlines as federal public benefits that undocumented immigrants cannot access
• Plaintiffs argue the rules were enacted without required public notice or comment and misinterpret the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act by applying immigrant restrictions to entire programs
• Service providers warn that immigration status checks will strain resources, potentially forcing small Head Start agencies and community clinics to close and disrupting care for both immigrant and low-income citizen families
• Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defends the change as enforcing federal law and saving taxpayers an estimated $40 billion while states warn it could redirect $374 million in Head Start funding and worsen outcomes