The Department of Health and Human Services announced in a press release Thursday that the agency will restrict undocumented immigrants from accessing Head Start, a federal program that provides children with education, health screenings and food. “For too long, the government has diverted hardworking Americans’ tax dollars to incentivize illegal immigration,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in that press release. “Today’s action changes that—it restores integrity to federal social programs, enforces the rule of law, and protects vital resources for the American people.”
Thursday’s egregious and inhumane action robs innocent children of critical and often life-changing services.
No, that’s not what it does. Thursday’s egregious and inhumane action robs innocent children of critical and often life-changing services including medical screenings, mental health resources, access to developmental therapies and, of course, early education. Removing such a program will cost Americans, literally. Research has shown that early investment in childhood education yields significant economic returns, on the order of 7 to 10 dollars for every dollar invested. This positive return would occur through increased earnings and reduced reliance on welfare.
But forget about the return on investment. Kennedy’s new policy tells the parents of these children that their kids aren’t deserving of fundamental care critical for their well-being because of their immigration status. It tells them that America is not a land of opportunity for them. Or even a land that recognizes their humanity. Taking away Head Start’s benefits from such children will most certainly result in untreated developmental delays and exacerbation of chronic medical conditions, as well as overcrowded emergency rooms when those children get sick.
Hostility toward immigrants has become Trump’s hallmark, and some people may shrug at Kennedy’s announcement Thursday as another cruel, if unremarkable, tactic toward that end. But we shouldn’t become jaded. What HHS is doing isn’t just cruel to immigrant children and their parents; it’s yet another sign that the United States is losing grip on its moral conscience.
Head Start was launched in 1965 as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “war on poverty.” More than 30 years later, in 1998, President Bill Clinton’s administration interpreted the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 in such a way that allowed for noncitizen children to access Head Start’s benefits. Kennedy’s new policy rolls that back. According to Kennedy’s announcement, “Head Start’s classification under the new PRWORA interpretation puts American families first by ensuring taxpayer-funded benefits are reserved for eligible individuals.”
Undocumented children are not strangers, but an integral part of the American community. Undocumented children are not strangers, but an integral part of the American community. There are at least 1 million undocumented children living in America, as well as 5.5 million children with one undocumented parent, according to the American Psychological Association. Denying these children access to health care and education is entirely un-American. It betrays our ideals of providing equal opportunity for everyone. Research has also shown that programs such as Head Start have improved health outcomes by reducing obesity rates and increasing vaccination rates. Improved vaccination rates increase herd immunity that protects all children, not just those being vaccinated and not just children at Head Start. That means that removing critical health supports for undocumented children would contribute a public health crisis that affects all children, not just the undocumented ones. Our founding forefathers argued that all men were created equal, and by extension all children are. They deserve a chance to thrive, regardless of the color of their skin, creed or immigration status. The policy to remove undocumented children from Head Start dehumanizes our most vulnerable population. Public health is not just about getting the latest vaccine or getting the latest screening test. Sure, that is part of it. But at its core, public health is about building an infrastructure that works seamlessly to protect the most vulnerable populations. By pushing children out of classrooms, hospitals and clinics, Kennedy is doing the opposite.
Dr. Omer Awan
Dr. Omer Awan M.D., MPH, CIIP, is a practicing radiologist physician in Baltimore, Maryland, who writes about the most pressing issues in healthcare and public health. 
