By Theo MeranzeA little over a week ago Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill (BBB) was officially signed into law. It is likely the most consequential piece of economic legislation in recent memory, with stark implications for nearly every person in the country. It includes large cuts and changes to integral programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, and SNAP. The bill is intentionally …
Trump Freeze
By Theo Meranze Two days ago the Trump Administration announced it was freezing hundreds of millions of dollars of Congress approved federal funding for school districts around the country. The programs affected, such as summer programs, English language instruction programs, and adult literacy programs, have been thrown into disarray as the administration conducts a review to “ensure grants are aligned …
Ways That Californians Are Protecting Their Students
By Theo Meranze Image credit: Faces of People by RiniArt.com On April 7th homeland security agents attempted to get into two elementary schools in South LA without warrants. They claimed to be there to conduct a “wellness check” on four specific students. The officers are reported to have claimed that they had permission from the children’s parents to enter the …
The Attack on Free Speech On University Campuses The Case of Mahmoud Khalil
By Theo Meranze / Rosa K. Hirji On March 8th Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student from Columbia University, was detained by ICE agents at campus housing as a result of his activism on University grounds. He is a legal permanent resident of the U.S. and is married to a U.S. citizen who is 8 months pregnant. Thrown into an unmarked …
Guidance for Students, Workers, and Teachers Dealing With ICE
By Theo Meranze As the Trump administration continues to target undocumented people, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) activity is ramping up across the state. As a result, schools and other public spaces which house children are in increasing danger of being searched by immigration forces. Undocumented students are thus in danger of being detained and deported. In response to these …
Report On ICE In Schools
By Theo Meranze On January 21st the Department of Homeland Security announced a new policy that allows ICE to carry out immigration related arrests and searches in what were previously off-limits “sensitive locations”, such as schools and churches. This is incredibly concerning. Here is a link to an in-depth summary of the federal situation in regards to student’s and district’s …
Information For LGBTQ + Students Under Trump
By Theo Meranze Donald Trump has explicitly made it his agenda to demonize and target LGBTQ + people, specifically transgender people, and sadly students and children are no exception. The president has sent out multiple executive orders declaring his administration’s intent to attack what he has labelled “gender ideology extremism” in schools. For example, this executive order, titled “Ending Radical …
Regarding Donald Trump’s Funding Freeze And its Effect on Education
By Theo Meranze Donald Trump’s executive orders, directives, and general threats of defunding have caused an understandable amount of terror in the world of education. Most recently, as we’re sure you’ve heard, his directive to freeze trillions of dollars in federal funding, grants, and loans has left many schools and programs for our children concerned that they may be stripped …
Resources For Wildfire Relief For Families With Children With Disabilities
We hope that this message finds you and your families safe. At this time, we want to express our sympathies to those directly and indirectly affected by the wildfires, and acknowledge that this unprecedented event will have the greatest impact on children, and children with disabilities and their families. We remain committed to being available to you to support your …
Law Offices of Hirji & Chau welcomes California’s adoption of the term “emotional disability” to replace the previously used term
By Robert D. Skeels, Senior Attorney On July 18, 2024, the Governor of California signed AB 2173—a bill adding Section 97 to the Education Code. The new law, authored by Assemblyperson Dawn Addis—a former special education teacher—takes effect January 1, 2025. The new law allows educators and families to use the term “emotional disability” to be used where “emotional disturbance” …