For children of migrants who must travel across the state with their parents alongside the seasonal harvests, keeping up with school can be challenging. But a statewide migrant education program that helps tutor some of these children has recently been defunded by President Donald Trump — forcing some California school districts to cut staff and services.
As CalMatters’ Carolyn Jones explains, weeks before the new school year was to start, the Trump administration halted over $6 billion in federal grants for K-12 schools. The administration later released some of the grants, under certain conditions. But money already earmarked by Congress to fund other programs including the federal Migrant Education Program — which has existed since 1966 — is still being withheld.
For California, at least $650 million in federal grants remain frozen — threatening the existence of its migrant education program, which does things like send bilingual tutors to schools and labor camps. The tutors provide children of migrant workers emotional and social support, as well as help with their class assignments and college enrollment.
Nearly 80,000 students in California are migrants, and almost every California county has migrant education programs. Because of the cuts, some school districts have laid off staff: The Butte County Office of Education laid off more than 400 people. The Santa Clara County Office of Education laid off 22, and terminated many services for migrant students, including a math and science program and a debate tournament.
Describing the defunding as “dark times,” Deb Benitez, the director of migrant education services for WestEd, says the move by the administration is part of its broader crackdown on immigrants.
- Benitez: “This is a population of individuals who’ve dedicated their lives to working in the fields, very difficult work which we know historically no one else is willing to do. All they want is for their children to be educated.”
Focus on Inland Empire: Each Wednesday, CalMatters Inland Empire reporter Deborah Brennan surveys the big stories from that part of California. Read her newsletter and sign up here to receive it.
Other Stories You Should Know
California clinics set to lose $300M
Speaking of federal defunding, a federal judge handed Planned Parenthood a minor and partial victory Monday after issuing a preliminary order that restores funding for a small fraction of its health clinics in the U.S.
But that does not include any of California’s 114 Planned Parenthood clinics, writes CalMatters’ Kristen Hwang.
California Planned Parenthood clinics will lose a total of $300 million stemming from a provision included in a budget bill Trump signed earlier this month that bans Planned Parenthood clinics from receiving federal Medicaid payments.
Planned Parenthood is California’s largest abortion provider, but that only accounts for less than 10% of its services. With a million Californians using Planned Parenthood each year, its clinics provide patients with contraceptives, sexually transmitted infection testing, prenatal services and more. About 80% of its patients use Medi-Cal.
- Jodi Hicks, president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, in a statement: “The harsh reality is, the Planned Parenthood defund will be felt in every corner of the state and will disproportionately impact people who have low incomes, rely on Medicaid programs, or have no other options for health care.”
Asylum seeker released
A deaf asylum seeker who has been detained for months at a San Diego immigration detention without access to an interpreter has been released, reports CalMatters’ Wendy Fry.
The detainee’s sister and sponsor confirmed the release Tuesday. The detainee, identified as Avirmed, fled from Mongolia and arrived in the U.S. in February. He sought asylum from persecution because of his disability, but border officials transferred him to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which placed him in the Otay Mesa Detention Center.
For more than four months Avirmed did not have access to a Mongolian Sign Language interpreter. His attorneys with the Disability Rights Legal Center and Disability Law United argued that this was a violation of his legal civil rights.
Earlier this month a federal judge ordered officials at the detention center to provide Avirmed with an interpreter. It is unclear why officials released Avirmed.
And lastly: Honey bee bill advances 🐝
A bill to establish a health program for California’s managed honey bees advanced out of the Senate Agriculture Committee last week on a unanimous vote. Vital to the state’s agriculture and economy, honey bees have been struggling in recent years due to parasitic mites, habitat loss and a lack of food. Learn more about the issue from my story in June.
California Voices
Passing a bill package that would provide more benefits for incarcerated firefighters is not only fair, it’s also an investment in the health and safety of all Californians, writes Andony Corleto, a former incarcerated firefighter who now works as a program associate for Vera California.
Other things worth your time:
Tesla autopilot on trial: DMV seeks to suspend the company from doing business in CA // San Francisco Chronicle
North State public television among the hardest hit by federal funding cuts // Shasta Scout
Sacramento County residents among 12 arrested at Home Depot, immigration group confirms // The Sacramento Bee
Contra Costa County’s annual ICE transparency forum is usually a formality. Not this year // The Mercury News
Homeless women say sexual abuse has become rampant amid SF’s tent crackdown // The San Francisco Standard
Nine households control 15% of wealth in Silicon Valley as inequality widens // The Guardian
He was ‘trying to stay alive.’ Family memorializes man who died in Camarillo immigration raid // Los Angeles Times
Deaf, mute and terrified: ICE arrests DACA recipient and ships him to TX // Los Angeles Times
Inland Empire confronts obstacles to sending students to college // EdSource
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