Betsy DeVos, the Secretary of Education, is making a big mistake in attempting to block the Department of Education from providing billions of dollars in emergency funding to help American citizens cope with the onslaught of the latest flu pandemic. The administration claims that there are no studies or data which indicate that the current H1N1 flu pandemic poses a threat to children in the United States.
However, they are incorrect. A number of studies have concluded that there is an increased risk of contracting the pandemic among children who are illegally present in the country. The studies also show that those children who are protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program have lower rates of contracting the flu than those who are not. This is a clear violation of the Trump Administration’s promise to the American People.
In fact, the studies which show that children who have been shielded under the Obama Administration’s Daca programs have a much better chance of surviving a flu pandemic are even more frightening because they show that their student’s chances of dying from the flu are actually lower than the national average. In fact, it may actually be safer to stay home and not attend school as the flu is not a seasonal epidemic. The same thing applies to those children who have applied for a Daca benefit and were turned down by their schools.
The new administration must realize the importance of this legislation to those who have been abused. Millions of children have already been the victims of the current pandemic and their lives are at risk. Their families should be able to stay together and enjoy the benefits of the law as well.
The Department of Education has the power to grant funding for the programs under the new grant program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Those students who have enrolled in a school eligible for the grants may apply for a relief from deportation. Those who were not eligible under the old Daca program are also eligible to apply.
If the Trump Administration’s claim about the H1N1 Flu pandemic being seasonal was true, then the only way to be sure that your child will not get sick is to enroll them in a school in a state that is safe. But there is no such school located in the United States of America at the moment. If they have applied and been approved, they can continue their education right away and enjoy the benefits of having the money to pay for their education through the funds provided under the new grants.
This is the second time that President Trump has allowed the Obama Administration to take money away from the public to provide medical assistance for those who were victims of the H1N1 Pandemic. The first time the administration was willing to give a small percentage of the money to the students in order to save their college educations.
The disaster relief bill passed by Congress was supposed to help those who are already suffering from the effects of Hurricane Harvey in Houston. Unfortunately, the Democrats chose not to support President Trump and did not include a provision in their funding bill that would have allowed for emergency funding to go to those who are the victims of the pandemic. So the administration should not allow itself to be bullied in this way again.
If the H1N1 Flu pandemic is a seasonal form of flu, then there should be a provision in the school-funding bill that would allow schools to receive money from the government for students who may be suffering from this virus. It is important to remember that there is no universal definition of the term “H1N1” nor should there be. There are different types of it.
If the H1N1 Flu pandemic is a temporary form of flu, then we need a provision in the school-funding bill that would allow schools to get funds for those students who could possibly be suffering with H1N1 Flu in the future. The old-school funding bill left the door open for this possibility.
There are many reasons to support the students who received federal funds under the Daca Program but the administration must understand that their support will not be forthcoming if they use bullying tactics in denying these students the opportunity to receive the relief from deportation that they deserve. They should not allow themselves to be intimidated by the Trump Administration’s efforts to deny these students the opportunity to apply and get approved for the new Daca funding. Education is not an expensive commodity and can only benefit so many students.