After a legal challenge from California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 20 other attorneys general, the state secured an agreement temporarily pausing new federal restrictions that would bar undocumented families from accessing Head Start and other social safety net programs. The agreement prevents the policy from taking effect before September 3, 2025, while the lawsuit proceeds.
For now, Santa Barbara County’s Head Start program is continuing uninterrupted.
“Since we learned about the new HHS proposed policy on July 10, it really has been business as usual,” said Patricia Keelean, CEO of CommUnify. “We have not received any guidance … and so we are going to continue to work to really welcome all families into the program.”
Asked what happens after September 3, Keelean said: “We’ll wait to see. At this time, we don’t know.”
Bonta called the policy reversal a “direct threat to children and families across the country,” and said the Trump administration had “thrown Head Start and other social safety net programs into chaos.” The lawsuit argues the rule is unlawful, lacks public notice, and puts enormous strain on local agencies.
CommUnify is staying closely connected to national legal and policy updates. “We’re part of a thousand-organization network working to address the causes and conditions of poverty,” Keelean said. “As soon as we get updates, we’ll be ready — and we’ll keep putting our families first.”
