Trump administration halts $350 million in funding for minority students

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00:00The Department of Education is withholding $350 million in grants to hundreds of colleges that

00:05serve minority students. The Trump administration argues the long-time programs are discriminatory

00:11and unconstitutional. Now the Education Department says it will stop funding eight grant programs

00:20meant for Black, Native, Hispanic, and Asian students and reallocate those funds to new

00:26priorities. The administration says it will transfer around $132 million in mandatory federal funds to

00:33four of the grant programs, claiming these are the only funds required to be dispersed. In a statement,

00:40Education Secretary Linda McMahon said discrimination based upon race or ethnicity has no place in the

00:46United States. The move comes after the U.S. Solicitor General argued in July that a program

00:51providing funds to colleges where at least 25 percent of undergraduates are Hispanic is

00:57unconstitutional. The Education Department agreed with this interpretation in its announcement

01:02Wednesday. But critics argue the department does not have the power to dictate which programs are

01:07unconstitutional. A former Biden administration official tells the Washington Post that the

01:12decision is, quote, contrary to statute and will leave students seeking these grants with little time

01:18to make contingency plans. Democratic lawmakers have also condemned the move, saying Trump is, quote,

01:24putting politics ahead of students. For more unbiased updates, download the Straight Arrow News app or go to san.com.