A federal judge in Rhode Island permanently struck down a directive from Donald Trump's administration aimed at restricting certain immigrants' access to federally funded programs, including Head Start preschool centers, community health clinics, and adult education programs.
The measure could affect not only undocumented immigrants but also individuals who are legally present in the United States, including certain holders of work and student visas, beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and individuals covered by Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), as reported by Associated Press (AP).
These groups are considered “unskilled foreign nationals” for certain benefits under federal law, even though some may be authorized to reside and work temporarily in the United States.
The directive, issued in July 2025, aimed to broaden the number of programs subject to those restrictions.
However, it was never implemented due to judicial decisions that halted its application.
The federal district judge Mary McElroy, appointed by Trump in 2019, had temporarily blocked the policy last year. She has now made that order permanent.
What programs were affected?
The board aimed to change the way the government interpreted the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), enacted in 1996.
The Trump administration argued that certain social programs should be regarded as "federal public benefits" and, therefore, be subject to the immigration restrictions outlined in that legislation.
The change affected Head Start, community health clinics, certain adult education programs, and other social services.
In the case of Head Start, the new interpretation could require providers to verify whether families meet the eligibility criteria related to their immigration status before allowing them access to certain services.
The states that later sued the government indicated that this represented a break from nearly three decades of federal policy during which individuals could access Head Start centers, community clinics, and shelters for victims of domestic violence without having to prove their immigration status beforehand.
The judge considers the procedure used to be illegal
McElroy declared the directive "illegal" and deemed the procedure used by the administration to change the rules as "invalid."
The central point of the ruling lies precisely in how the change was made, and it does not necessarily mean that the federal government is prohibited from modifying these regulations in the future.
The judge noted that the administration could still promote changes through the federal notice and public comment process, a procedure that it did not follow when issuing the directive in 2025.
A reinterpretation of a policy in effect since 1998
The origin of the dispute dates back to the implementation of the PRWORA law of 1996.
In July 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it was modifying an interpretation of that legislation dating back to 1998.
The Trump administration argued that the previous policy had unduly restricted which programs should be considered "federal public benefits."
The new interpretation explicitly included Head Start and other health and social programs.
The Secretary of Health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., defended the measure at that time, stating that it "restores the integrity of federal social programs, enforces the rule of law, and protects vital resources for the American people," according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Twenty states took the directive to court
Democratic attorneys general from 20 states and the District of Columbia sued the government to block the implementation of the new rules.
In addition to questioning the procedure used by the administration, the plaintiffs warned that the consequences could extend beyond the directly affected immigrants.
According to the demand collected by AP, the new requirements could deter immigrants from seeking services and create obstacles even for American citizens who had difficulties documenting their status.
The states also noted that organizations with limited resources, including some Head Start operators, would have to take on new administrative tasks to verify individuals' eligibility.
According to the plaintiffs, some centers could even struggle to continue operating if they were unable to cover those costs.
Politics had been stalled since 2025
The directive never came to be implemented as the Trump administration had initially planned.
In 2025, McElroy issued a preliminary injunction that halted the implementation of the new rules. Other lawsuits also blocked the policy related to Head Start.
Therefore, the current decision does not entail abruptly withdrawing benefits that would have already disappeared.
The restrictions had been stalled for about a year by the courts, and now the judge has made her order permanent.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, one of the individuals responsible for the lawsuit, celebrated the decision.
"From cancer screening tests to food banks and early childhood education, the federal government's attempts to dismantle the safety net would have been catastrophic for working families," James stated, according to Associated Press.
The ruling, however, leaves open the possibility that the Trump administration may attempt to modify the rules again, as long as it follows the federal administrative procedure outlined by the court.
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