Current and Potential Impacts of New Immigration Policies on Adult Education Programs and Students

Abstract: In the first two years of President Trump’s term, many new, restrictionist immigration policies were put into motion, including dramatic cuts in refugee resettlement and significant expansions in both the categories of immigrants targeted for deportation and types of public programs whose use could trigger immigration penalties. In the wake of these actions, Congress has been considering a range of bills related to DACA/DREAM youth and various broader immigration reform measures. In this session, national immigration and immigrant integration experts will discuss the impacts of these and other immigration measures on the adult education field.  Presentations will explore how these policies affect adult education programs, the differing reactions of states in several key policy areas, as well as ways in which adult education programs can continue providing support for immigrants’ educational and integration success despite the turbulent policy landscape.