NASDME
National Association of State
Directors of Migrant Education
Big news!
An Update on Federal Funding
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For the 2020 Federal Fiscal Year, the president’s budget proposed that the Title I, Part C Migrant Education Program be funded at $374,800,000, the same level as last year.
Congress has begun the appropriations process for FY2020. On April 30, 2019, the House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education approved the level of $380,000,000 for the Title I, Part C Migrant Education Program. The Subcommittee report stated that this is ”$5,249,000 above the fiscal year 2019 enacted level and the fiscal year 2020 budget request [by the President].”
This funding would be available as of July 1, 2020 to states with the Migrant Education Program for use in the 2020-2021 school year. This would be the first year that MEP funding will be distributed under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) formula with no hold harmless.
For the 2020 Federal Fiscal Year, the president’s budget proposed that the Title I, Part C Migrant Education Program be funded at $374,800,000, the same level as last year.
Congress is moving forward with the appropriations process for FY2020. On April 30, 2019, the House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education approved the level of $380,000,000 for the Title I, Part C Migrant Education Program. The Subcommittee report stated that this is ”$5,249,000 above the fiscal year 2019 enacted level and the fiscal year 2020 budget request [by the President].” The full House Appropriations Committee voted to approve the same amount May 15, 2019. On June 19, 2019 the full House approved the bill.
This funding would be available as of July 1, 2020 to states with the Migrant Education Program for use in the 2020-2021 school year. This would be the first year that MEP funding will be distributed under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) formula with no hold harmless.
Last Updated: 5/08/2019
The American Dream and Promise Act of 2019
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On March 12, 2019, Reps. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), and Yvette Clarke (D-NY) announced the introduction of the American Dream and Promise Act. The bill, officially known as H.R. 6, lays out a path to U.S. citizenship for immigrant youth including recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), as well as current or potential recipients of programs such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED).
The bill currently has 230 cosponsors, all Democrats. Upon its introduction on March 13, the bill was referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor and the House Committee on the Judiciary. On April 8, the House Committee on the Judiciary referred the bill to its Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship. No further action has been reported.
What are TPS and DED?
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is granted to individuals physically present in the U.S. who are from countries designated by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as unsafe to accept their return. A list of the countries currently designated for TPS can be obtained from the Temporary Protected Status page of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website. Individuals who apply for and are granted TPS are authorized to remain and to work in the U.S. for a specific, limited period of time. When this period expires, the DHS secretary may extend it for another specified period. Recently, the Trump Administration decided not to extend TPS status for Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Sudan.
Similar to the way court injunctions have allowed the processing of DACA renewal applications, court injunctions have stopped the termination of TPS for Haiti, El Salvador, Sudan, and Nicaragua. A pending court case is asking for the court to also stop the termination of TPS for Honduras and Nepal, but it’s not certain yet what will happen. For more information on these cases, visit the National TPS Alliance TPS lawsuit webpage.
Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) is a status very similar to TPS. DED is granted to noncitizens from certain countries by presidential proclamation or other executive action. In the past, DED status has been granted, for example, to nationals of the People’s Republic of China (1990), El Salvador (1994), Haiti (1997), and Liberia (1999). Like DACA and TPS, DED allows eligible individuals to remain lawfully in the U.S. for a limited, specified period, to receive employment authorization, and to be “lawfully present.” A lawsuit has been filed challenging the termination of DED for Liberians.
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
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Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, now called the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), became law on December 10, 2015.
Several changes were made to the law authorizing the Migrant Education Program.