California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with a coalition of 20 other attorneys general, has announced an agreement that temporarily prevents the Trump Administration from implementing changes to federal public benefit eligibility based on immigration status until September 3, 2025. This agreement comes after the coalition filed a lawsuit earlier this week against the Trump Administration’s decision to reverse nearly three decades of federal practice. This reversal had allowed access to certain public benefits programs regardless of immigration status.
The affected programs include Head Start, childcare services for low-income individuals, adult education, mental health and substance use disorder programs, and shelters for at-risk youth and domestic violence survivors. The coalition is seeking a court order to prevent the implementation of these changes during ongoing litigation.
Attorney General Bonta stated: “The Trump Administration threw Head Start and other social safety net programs into chaos when it abruptly reversed nearly three decades of federal law and policy that opened these programs up to all.” He added that the agreement provides relief for critical programs and families relying on them in California.
A copy of the stipulation related to this agreement is available.
