On October 30, Rachel Wilensky and Mikayla Slaydon gave a presentation on how the current federal policy context of immigration impacts child care and early education, as part of the Spring Institutes Dual Language Learner Coalition Retreat.
By Wendy Cervantes and Jennifer Ibañez Whitlock
Updated November 2025
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Parents have a right to make decisions about the care and safety of their children, even while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. The National Immigration Law Center and Center for Law and Social Policy jointly developed this resource for immigrant parents which details the rights that parents have while being apprehended and detained. Under its own policies, ICE has a responsibility to ensure that detained parents have a say in the care of their children and keeping them safe.
Here are five things for parents to know about the policy:
Help share this resource far and wide to make sure immigrant parents know their rights!
Legal Disclaimer: This resource provides general information. It is not legal advice specific to your situation. To find an immigration attorney, you can search for legal services by zip code by visiting the National Immigration Legal Services Directory.
November 18, 2025, Washington, D.C.– Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a proposal to repeal the 2022 public charge rule, which is applicable to immigrants applying for a green card, with plans to release more restrictive guidance at a later date. Without the 2022 rule in place, DHS officers would have wide discretion to make arbitrary decisions about granting a visa or green card based on a person’s current or former health and economic situation, as well as their past or potential use of a wide range of health and social service programs. By removing standardized guidance for DHS officers, the public charge determination process would be open to widespread confusion, discrimination, fear, and chaos. Once the rule is published, the public will have a 30-day comment period to provide input.
The proposed rule claims so-called cost ‘savings’ from people disenrolling from public benefits due to the chilling effect of these proposed changes. However, there is no mention of how public benefits contribute to public health and overall well-being and of the cost savings from providing preventive health care and access to nutritious food to people who cannot afford them. The proposal also aims to punish immigrants for using government support programs they pay into. Moreover, the Trump Administration even acknowledges that this rule would cause economic harm to our health care providers, grocery retailers, and farmers. Yet the administration is choosing to proceed with this rule anyway, prioritizing its crusade against immigrants over what’s actually best for the country and our economy.
CLASP is committed to ensuring that all families are able to meet their basic needs, and we will work alongside our partners to defeat this reckless public charge proposal as we did under the first Trump Administration.
In response to the proposed rule, Wendy Chun-Hoon, President and Executive Director of the Center for Law and Social Policy, released the following statement:
“This is yet another cruel attempt by the Trump Administration to sow fear and confusion among immigrant communities, deterring them from accessing critical services and supports, like seeking health care and food assistance essential to their well-being and that of their children. Providers who serve all communities will be forced yet again to struggle in navigating this ever-changing policy environment, wasting time and resources. As was the case when the first Trump Administration proposed public charge changes, this new rule will lead to millions of families missing doctor’s appointments, disenrolling from programs they are eligible for, and further isolating themselves. Children in immigrant families, including U.S. citizens, will once again face long-term developmental harms, which our country will ultimately pay the price for.”
This summer’s passage of H.R.1 threatens to drastically cut SNAP benefits, placing millions of families at risk of food insecurity. These policies directly impact families like Ashley Blair’s, for whom programs like WIC are not just helpful—they are lifelines.
This new blog series by Ashley, a member of CLASP’s Community Partnership Group and VOICE (Victory Over Injustice Creates Equality), examines the importance of food justice and access to essential programs like WIC, and reminds us that everyone deserves the resources they need to thrive.
I’ve always had a passion for helping others, which led me to pursue both my B.S. and M.S. in Biology from The Tennessee State University. Our motto, Think. Work. Serve., is etched into my heart, and it has guided every step of my journey.
I am also a member of Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity (Kappa Iota chapter) and Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity, Inc. (Psi Phi chapter) at The Tennessee State University. After college, I worked as a research analyst, research assistant, and clinical research coordinator at hospitals across Tennessee.
People often hear my credentials and wonder, “Why do you need public benefits with two degrees and a full-time career in health care?” The answer is simple: the math doesn’t add up. The average household income in Tennessee is around $56,000, and the income limit for WIC for a family of three is $49,303. I’m just one of the countless mothers who work full-time but still qualify for WIC.
Also known as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, WIC is a federally funded program that provides nutritious foods, nutrition counseling, and referrals to healthcare and social services for pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age five who have low incomes and are at nutritional risk. WIC isn’t just a benefits program—it’s a lifeline that’s been linked to healthier births, lower infant mortality rates, improved nutrition, and long-term cognitive development for children.
I want to take a moment to express my deep gratitude for WIC, which supported me through one of the most challenging yet rewarding parts of motherhood: breastfeeding. On the day my daughter was born, I thought breastfeeding would come naturally—but it hurt, and I didn’t know what to do. Through WIC, I received not just guidance but hands-on, compassionate care. A medical professional came to my home to help me learn how to nurse my baby. That support changed everything.
When my second child was born at just 28 weeks, WIC once again made it possible for me to provide him with breast milk. That ensured I could give him the same nutrition and immune support that helped my daughter thrive.
Fully funding WIC ensures that all eligible families—including pregnant people of color and their infants, who face disproportionate health risks–can receive assistance. Last month, the White House announced a temporary funding patch using tariff revenues. While this shows some effort, it’s a short-term fix to a long-term crisis. Questions remain: How much funding will be provided? When will it be distributed? How long will it last?
If WIC is not fully funded, 6.7 million participants—including 41 percent of all infants in the United States–will be affected. This means mothers may lose access to healthy foods and breastfeeding support, directly affecting their children’s brain development and well-being. The resulting stress of not knowing how to feed your children is devastating, and that kind of stress has real physical and mental consequences: anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, and more.
I vividly remember taking my daughter to a dentist appointment where her exam wasn’t covered by insurance. I had to choose between paying for her dental visit or buying groceries. No parent should ever have to make that choice. Having access to WIC as a vegan family allows us to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, which has made a tremendous difference in our health and lives.
The National WIC Association (NWA) has made it clear: this temporary fix is not enough. A prolonged government shutdown—especially at the start of the fiscal year—puts millions of pregnant women, new mothers, and young children in jeopardy. Access to infant formula, breastfeeding support, and vital nutrition services must not be left to chance.
As NWA President and CEO Dr. Georgia Machell said:
“We welcome efforts to keep WIC afloat during the shutdown, but families need long-term stability, not short-term uncertainty… There is no substitute for Congress doing its job. WIC needs full-year funding, not just temporary lifelines.”
I couldn’t agree more. I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Machell at Bread for the World’s “Nourish Our Future” Campaign earlier this year in Washington, D.C. Her passion for food justice and equity inspires me daily.
Many families like mine rely on WIC for our most basic needs. The program cannot, and should not, be put on the back burner. Through the VOICE series and programs to come, we’re committed to keeping these injustices at the forefront—amplifying the voices of those most impacted and holding leaders accountable to act.
This is not a time for silence. It’s a time to lift every voice, demand equity, and ensure every family has access to the nutrition, care, and dignity they deserve.
Wendy Chun-Hoon spoke at the National Youth Employment Coalition’s 2025 Youth Days.
By Christian Collins
In this op-ed for Inside Higher Ed, Christian describes how student loan forgiveness is being used as a tool by the administration to recruit Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Among other things, he notes, “By passing the reconciliation bill that nearly tripled ICE’s budget while restricting Pell Grant eligibility for some students and cutting back basic needs programs like food stamps and Medicaid, congressional leaders have identified themselves as active participants in this strategy.”
This statement can be attributed to Wendy Chun-Hoon, executive director of the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
Washington, D.C., October 28, 2025—With the federal government shutdown nearly a month old, it is important to note that the chaos, dysfunction, and harm to families and workers caused by the shutdown is a result of deliberate policy choices by the Trump Administration and Republican leadership in Congress.
The stalemate created by the refusal of Congressional leadership and the Trump Administration to come to the table is unnecessarily threatening food assistance, access to Head Start, and other important programs families rely on and forcing millions of people to soon face increasing health care costs.
The government shutdown was entirely avoidable. The lawmakers who voted for H.R. 1 in July actively chose not to extend enhanced premium tax credits to keep health care more affordable, despite knowing that they would expire this year. Instead, lawmakers passed a bill that costs trillions of dollars to pay for tax breaks to the wealthiest and corporations and increased funding for harmful ICE immigration enforcement, all while cutting Medicaid and SNAP and making marketplace health insurance unaffordable for millions of U.S. citizens.
The continued government shutdown has resulted in thousands of federal workers needlessly losing their jobs or not receiving paychecks this month. However, some federal employees like ICE agents are still getting paid to carry out indiscriminate immigration enforcement actions, resulting in more than 170 U.S. citizens being detained. At the same time, construction recently began on a $300 million White House ballroom. This country’s leadership is prioritizing terrorizing families and executive mansion renovations over ensuring that individuals and families receive the support and benefits that they need to thrive.
With the government shutdown approaching November, the funding is at risk for programs that families rely on, like SNAP, WIC, and Head Start. SNAP, which allows approximately 42 million people to afford food, and WIC, which provides nutritional support, education, and other forms of assistance for pregnant women and parents with children under 5 years old, are two of the most effective tools we have to prevent food insecurity, stabilize local economies, and support public health. Suspending or delaying benefits would have devastating consequences for millions of households across the country and will further strain food pantries that are already stretched thin. Head Start and Early Head Start play a valuable role in providing early education to hundreds of thousands of families every year; if the shutdown persists into November, federal grants for more than 100 Head Start programs across the country will be cut, threatening access for more than 65,000 families that depend on the program. Moreover, millions of families will begin to see their cost of health insurance more than double next year.
Congress must extend the ACA enhanced premium tax credits, reopen the government, and deliver full coverage of benefits and access to programs that people rely on. Again, this is a manufactured crisis. Despite their statements to the contrary, the administration clearly has the means to use authorized USDA funds until Congress acts to ensure families, seniors, workers, and millions of other people don’t go hungry in November.
Juan Carlos Gomez and Stephanie Schmit were panelists at the 2025 National Community Leadership Summit, titled “Unwavering Resistance: An Invitation to Beloved Community,” in Boston, MA. They spoke on the panel “Care and Immigration: What Advocates Need to Know about Centering and Supporting Immigrant Children, Families, and Early Educators.”
Wendy Cervantes participated in “Families Separated, Futures Stolen: Exposing the Harm of Trump’s Immigration Policy on Women and Children,” a roundtable hosted by the Democratic Women’s Caucus and Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Rachel Wilensky presented virtually at a California Early Childhood Policy Council meeting, speaking about the impacts of the government shutdown on federal programs that support child care and early education, along with related programs that families with young children and early educators rely on.