Millions of Latino Students to Pay the Price for Generations After SCOTUS Greenlights Trump’s Education Cuts
Washington, D.C. — Today, Voto Latino issued a dire warning of the detrimental impacts the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the dismantling of the Department of Education will have in the Latino community.
The Department of Education is not just a federal agency—it is a generational lifeline for Latino families across this country. It guarantees access to financial aid, protects the rights of students with disabilities, and enforces civil rights in the classroom. Without it, over 18 million Latino students stand to lose more than just support—they lose their chance to thrive.
Voto Latino issued the following statement:
“Let’s be clear: this is not about bureaucracy—it’s about whether Latino families get to dream, achieve, and belong in this country. When you strip away access to college and student protections, you are cutting off the future of our communities at the root. It is shameful that the Supreme Court once again has failed our country.
“This is now the time for Congress to act. They need to ensure that all of our futures are protected, and that starts by making sure every child in this country has access to good and equitable public education. We call on allies in education, civil rights, and public service to speak out and stand together. A democracy that denies opportunity to its next generation is one that fails us all. Our community’s future is not negotiable. We will organize. We will resist. And we will vote.”
These sweeping job cuts pose a direct threat to:
- 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.
- 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 families, especially in states like California, Texas, and Florida, where Latino students make up over half of the K–12 population, stand to lose the most. These are not just policy changes—they are systemic rollbacks that erase decades of progress.
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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.