New directives come from HHS and Department of Education
Illegal immigrants will no longer have access to federal taxpayer-funded scholarships, grants, and loans for post-secondary education programs under changes that the Trump administration announced Thursday.
The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education both announced that they rescinded Clinton-era directives that had allowed illegal immigrants to access a wide variety of federally subsidized programs, including in the education sector.
Now, HHS Health Workforce Programs, including “grants, loans, scholarships, payments, and loan repayments” for students and schools will no longer be open to illegal immigrants, a department news release states.
“For too long, the government has diverted hardworking Americans’ tax dollars to incentivize illegal immigration,” HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy stated in the release. “Today’s action changes that—it restores integrity to federal social programs, enforces the rule of law, and protects vital resources for the American people.”
The change eliminates a “1998 interpretation of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), issued during the Clinton Administration, which improperly extended certain federal public benefits to illegal aliens,” according to the release.
Similarly, the Department of Education announced a new rule Thursday to “end taxpayer subsidization of illegal aliens in career, technical, and adult education programs.”
The rule will get rid of a Clinton-era “Dear Colleague letter” that had allowed illegal immigrants to participate in these programs, according to the department.
Under the rule, Pell Grants and student loans also will be “inaccessible to illegal immigrants,” a department news release states.
“Postsecondary education programs funded by the federal government should benefit American citizens, not illegal aliens,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon stated in the release.
The Tampa Free Press reports more:
The interpretive rule, published today in the Federal Register, clarifies that federal programs like those under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V) and the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) are indeed “federal public benefits” subject to the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA). This 1996 act generally limits eligibility for such benefits to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and certain “qualified aliens.” …
The Department’s notice reminds grantees and subgrantees of their responsibility to verify participant eligibility, ensuring that “limited federal funding is not being improperly distributed to noneligible individuals or used to support programs and services that serve illegal aliens.” This initiative directly responds to President Trump’s Executive Order 14218, titled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders.” …
The Department will send letters to all Perkins V, AEFLA, and HEA grantees to discuss the updated eligibility verification requirements. While interpretive rules are not immediately binding and do not have effective dates, they represent the Department’s current position and will be referenced in enforcing compliance with PRWORA.
The news follows a recent action by the U.S. Department of Justice against Minnesota involving illegal immigrants and higher education.
In June, the department sued the state, alleging it is privileging illegal immigrants ahead of American citizens from other states in violation of federal law, The College Fix reported.
MORE: DOJ sues Minnesota for favoring illegal immigrants over American students
MORE: Target these ‘scofflaws’ next for illegal immigrant tuition breaks, experts say
IMAGE CAPTION AND CREDIT: Education Secretary Linda McMahon testifies before Congress; Department of Education/Facebook