The lawsuit argues that the Trump administration cannot reduce or eliminate Head Start, because the program is funded by Congress.
The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups have sued the Trump administration over what they say is a plan to illegally dismantle Head Start, the federal program that funds early education for America’s youngest and poorest children.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington State on Monday, was filed on behalf of Head Start associations and parent groups in several states. It argues that the Trump administration cannot reduce or eliminate Head Start, because the program is funded by Congress.
Head Start, a $12 billion-a-year program, provides child care, preschool and other services for children in poverty from birth to age 5, before they start formal school.
The program, under the Department of Health and Human Services, has been subject to spending cuts and layoffs as part of President Trump’s efforts to reduce federal spending.
The Trump administration is expected to propose eliminating the Head Start program as part of its 2026 budget, which could be released as soon as this week, according to a series of draft documents reviewed by The New York Times. The White House previously said that no final funding decisions have been made, and any plan would require the support of Congress.
But Jennesa Calvo-Friedman, a lawyer with the A.C.L.U, said the Trump administration had already found ways to diminish Head Start “through a series of executive actions which make it harder and harder for Head Start programs to stay open.”