The Broward County Public Schools are facing a critical decision: to immediately sever their ties with Latinos en Acción (LIA), a school program focused on leadership and academic support for young people of Hispanic descent, or risk losing a federal grant of 30 million dollars.

The order comes from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), which argues that the program is a form of racial discrimination, as revealed by NBC Miami.

A club under federal scrutiny

Latinos en Acción, present in 44 middle and high schools in Broward and active in 16 states across the country, combines the structure of a club with that of an elective class.

Their stated objective is "to empower young Latinos to lead and strengthen their communities through preparation for college and careers", a mission that has gained support in multiple school districts across Florida.

However, that same definition is viewed by the DOE as a violation of equality standards.

In a letter sent to Broward Superintendent Howard Hepburn, the DOE's Office for Civil Rights stated: "First, Latinos en Acción appears to be explicitly organized around the concept of Latin ethnicity."

Later, the document emphasizes: “The Latinos in Action program, however, is designed for and is exclusive to Latino students. It is not, for example, available to Black, White, or Asian American students.”

Reactions of surprise at the school board meeting

The measure hit the school board members like a bucket of cold water.

Debbi Hixon, chairwoman of the board, defended the value of LIA: "Latinos in Action is a fantastic program; we have it in several of our middle and high schools, and they do truly, truly good work."

For her part, Rebecca Thompson, another member of the council, found the accusation to be baseless.

"The letter mentions that they feel the group is engaging in racial discrimination; however, all students can take these elective leadership courses, which is not discriminatory. My real concern is that today it’s Latinos in Action, but what does that mean for tomorrow?"

Both stated that the communication from the DOE arrived without prior notice.

"Yes, it was definitely a surprise; it was not on the radar as far as I know, and it seems they simply went to the Latinos en Acción website and obtained some information from there," Hixon pointed out.

The official added that there had been no prior contact between Washington and the district to discuss the course content.

The pressure from Washington

The federal warning is clear: the district has five days to confirm that it will sever ties with Latinos en Acción starting next spring semester; otherwise, it will lose the multimillion-dollar grant intended for magnet school programming.

The political context also looms over the decision.

The program, despite its popularity, is "in the sights of the Trump Administration," according to several local reports.

Thompson directly questioned the background: “I believe that for obvious reasons they are targeting select groups of people throughout our country, and simply because it says Latinos in Action, they are going after this group.”

Impact beyond Broward

While the continuation of the program is being debated in Broward, the DOE has already made it clear that it wants immediate changes.

Hixon suggested that perhaps altering the elective course could alleviate federal demands: “I hope that changing the optional course Latinos in Action will be enough to satisfy the officials in Washington.”

In contrast, other districts, such as Miami-Dade, will not be affected, as they do not maintain affiliation with the program.

Nevertheless, in several counties in Florida and in more than a dozen states, the initiative continues to serve as a space for identity, leadership, and belonging for thousands of students.

The pulse between Broward and the DOE opens a broader discussion on how programs designed to address the specific needs of minorities are interpreted by the federal government.

The demand to sever ties with LIA raises questions about the future of other similar initiatives aimed at strengthening vulnerable communities.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Closure of the "Latinos en Acción" Program in Broward