Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has filed yet another lawsuit against President Trump, this time challenging the administration’s decision to withhold billions of dollars in education funding for after-school care, summer programs and more.
Some of the withheld money funds after-school and summer programming at Boys & Girls Clubs, the YMCA or public schools, attended by 1.4 million children and teenagers nationwide.
Congress set aside money for the programs to provide academic support, enrichment and child care to mostly low-income families. But Trump’s administration recently froze the funding, saying it wants to ensure programs align with the Republican president’s priorities.
Of the $6 billion dollars in frozen federal funds, Arizona is due about $118 million. Some Arizona schools start the new year as early as Wednesday.
“It is unlawful for President Trump to hold up this education funding and to wreak absolute havoc on our schools and on our students and families,” Mayes told reporters Monday.
Led by California, the lawsuit brought by more than 20 states alleges withholding the money violates the Constitution and several federal laws. Many low-income families will lose access to after-school programs if the money isn’t released soon, according to the suit. In states like Arizona, school restarts in late July and early August.
The Department of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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That's especially true in the Mountain West. In most states, if one delivery unit shuts down, the next closest one is more than an hour away. -
More than 30,000 refugees, asylees and other legally present immigrants in Arizona could lose health coverage in a few weeks as new Medicaid eligibility rules take effect. -
Under the proposed changes, there’d be a cap on how much money Head Start centers could spend on administrative overhead; there would also be a reduction in the number of regulations governing the program, among other changes. -
Right now, nearly Arizona 300 schools qualify for a federal program that allows schools that serve low income households to give free lunches to every student — without making them apply for it. -
It's also unclear how many have lost coverage because some state agencies that run the programs are overwhelmed trying to keep up with changes. That was the case in Arizona, which saw the nation's largest enrollment drop.
