Colorado leaders say banning undocumented students from federal education programs affects everyone

The Trump administration wants to ban undocumented students from taking part in federally funded Head Start or career and technical education programs.

The administration says it wants to ensure, "taxpayer-funded programs benefit the American people," and are not diverted to subsidize people who entered the United States illegally.

The Colorado Department of Education says it's working with the office of the Colorado Attorney General to determine how banning undocumented students from career and technical education programs will affect K-12 schools in the state.

After 60 years of providing Head Start services to any child who qualifies, the Federal government is proposing new rules to bar any child whose family is in the U.S. illegally from taking part in the early childhood program.

A ruling by the Supreme Court back in 1982 found undocumented students have a right to a free public education.

But the ruling was clear only on kindergarten through 12th grade. The administration says it is wants to ensure public resources do not, "incentivize illegal immigration."

The changes to Head Start are effective immediately, which is leaving those in early childhood education unsure of what the future of education will look like.

Elsa Holguin runs the Denver Preschool Program, which provides funding for 4-year-olds to attend preschool in Denver. She says the decision to deny undocumented immigrants Head Start funding will affect everyone.

"Head Start has proven that investing in early education prepares children not just for school, but for life," Holguin said. "That means it gives them the skills to learn how to be in a classroom."

In a memo released Thursday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in part it wants to, "ensure that taxpayer-funded program benefits intended for the American people are not diverted to subsidize illegal aliens," and to, "ensure enrollment in Head Start is reserved for American citizens from now on."

But Holguin says that isn't how Head Start works in Colorado.

"It's not like we are pushing out some children," Holguin said. "So other children can attend. Everybody has access."

Republican state Sen. Scott Bright founded the Colorado Early Education Network. It's no-cost preschool for qualified families. He says he understands why the administration may want to ensure access to early education for Americans only and bar undocumented immigrants.

"Taxpayers in Colorado are just struggling with how much of our tax base should be spent on citizens of Colorado versus other folks who may not be citizens," Bright said.

But Bright also says, as an early childhood educator, that this will have an impact on all kids, including those who are citizens.

"Our job as early childhood professionals is to prepare those kids for school. And the K-12 system is going to be significantly overburdened," Bright said.

Holguin says we need to reflect as a country on how this might affect the future.

"What kind of community do we want to be? What kind of communities do we want to have and how we're going to progress?" Holguin said.

Sen. Bright and Elsa Holguin both say, without undocumented kids, Head Start programs might lose funding if they can't fill all the open slots they are required to by law.