The Trump administration, citing critical budget pressures brought on by the immigration influx at the Mexican border, is canceling English classes, recreational programs, and legal aid for unaccompanied minors in federal migrant shelters, The Washington Post is reporting.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement has already started discontinuing funding for the activities "not directly necessary for the protection of life and safety, including education services, legal services, and recreation," Health and Human Services spokesman Mark Weber said.
About 40,8000 unaccompanied children have been placed in HHS custody after crossing the border this year. The number represents a 57% increase over last year.
The move to cut back funding came in an email sent to licensed shelters last week. A copy of the email was obtained by the newspaper.
Carlos Holguin, a lawyer who represents minors in a lawsuit that sparked a federal court settlement setting standards of care for kids in custody, vowed to take the administration to court over the cuts.
"We'll see them in court if they go through with it," Holguin said. "What's next? Drinking water? Food? . . . Where are they going to stop?"
And one unnamed shelter employee questioned the impact the cutbacks will have on children.
"If you're not going to have any sort of organized recreation or physical activity, what are you going to do, just let them sit in their rooms?" the employee said.
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