Americans Didn’t Vote for This: Trump Dismantles the Department of Education
Over 18 Million Latino Students’ Futures Jeopardized by This Reckless Decision
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Voto Latino, a national organization dedicated to Latino civic engagement, condemns President Donald Trump’s executive order dismantling the Department of Education. This reckless decision strips away vital protections, funding, and resources that millions of Latino and low-income students rely on.
“Trump’s decision to eliminate the Department of Education is an outright attack on the future of America’s students. Education is the bedrock of opportunity—the engine of the American Dream. No matter where a child comes from, access to quality education provides the skills and knowledge to succeed and move ahead. It is the great equalizer in our society, the key to breaking cycles of poverty and building a stronger middle class. This reckless decision turns back the clock, unraveling decades of progress that have helped millions of Americans climb the economic ladder.
Eliminating the Department of Education will disproportionately harm Latino students, who make up nearly 30% of public school enrollment and are, on average, younger than the overall U.S. population. This means Latino students will bear the brunt of this decision for generations, deepening disparities rather than closing them. It’s time to modernize the Department of Education and our institutions to meet the demands of the 21st century, ensuring our children have the tools to thrive in an increasingly competitive world. Dismantling our institutions is not the solution—strengthening them is.
Americans did not vote for this. Regardless of political differences, we share a fundamental belief that every child deserves access to a high-quality education and a fair shot at success.”
With the Department of Education dissolved, the fallout is immediate and catastrophic:
- Children with Disabilities: The Department of Education ensures that students with disabilities receive the support and accommodations they need. There are approximately 1,125,000 Latino children with disabilities in U.S. public schools.
- Civil Rights Protections: There are more than 14.4 million Latino students in kindergarten through 12th-grade public schools across the country. Civil rights protections against discrimination based on race, gender, and disability would also be gutted.
- Latino College Students and Financial Aid: Millions of students rely on federal grants and loans to access higher education. Hispanic enrollment in higher education reached nearly 3.8 million students in 2022. Nearly 75% of Latino college students receive financial aid.
States with the highest Latino student populations will face the greatest consequences:
- California: 3,275,030 Latino students (56.1% of all K-12 students)
- Texas: 2,922,144 Latino students (53.2% of all K-12 students)
- Florida: 1,067,662 Latino students (36.4% of all K-12 students)
“Voto Latino refuses to stand idly by as Trump dismantles a cornerstone of American opportunity. We urge educators, parents, and allies to organize, advocate, and mobilize. Congress must act immediately to overturn this disastrous decision before millions of students lose their chance at a better future.”
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Voto Latino is a civic advocacy organization dedicated to educating and empowering the next generation of Latino voters while working to build a more inclusive and representative democracy. Since its founding, Voto Latino has registered nearly two million voters. In 2024, the organization took legal action to protect voting rights, filing multiple lawsuits in Texas, Arizona, and North Carolina to safeguard access to the ballot ahead of the elections.