Statement from Dr. Amy Loyd, CEO of All4Ed on FY 2026 Funding Bill
Date: Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Contact: Enrique A. Chaurand
Email: echaurand@all4ed.org
Washington, D.C. – “Across Minneapolis and the nation, children are arriving at school afraid or choosing to stay home out of fear. They are wondering if their parents will be home when they return. They are carrying trauma that no child should bear, not because of anything they have done, but because of how immigration enforcement is being conducted in their communities.
“The recent murders of Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis are tragic reminders that these policies have real consequences that ripple through entire communities. They are two of at least a dozen ICE-involved shootings in 2026 alone. Beyond these deaths, children themselves have been caught in, and at times targeted by, these actions, and even used as bait to capture their loved ones, taken from their homes and schools in operations that amount to kidnapping. These are not abstract policy debates; children are experiencing trauma, witnessing violence, and living with fear that no child should have to carry.
“This is why I support Senator Schumer’s call to move forward immediately on five of the remaining appropriations bills —Defense, Labor-HHS-Education, Transportation-HUD, Financial Services, and State and Foreign Operations — while fundamentally overhauling the Homeland Security appropriations legislation. Any Homeland Security appropriations bill must be rebuilt from the ground up to prioritize human dignity, due process, and the wellbeing of children who are watching their world become less safe.
“To be clear, All4Ed supports the bipartisan Labor-HHS-ED appropriations bill. I am encouraged that appropriators protected education funding and included critical language to rein in the Administration’s illegal dismantling of the Department of Education. However, moving forward on the education and other appropriations bills cannot come at the expense of our children’s families and communities.
“Unless our leaders come together to prioritize people over politics, it is likely the nation will face a partial shutdown of the federal government. Having worked inside government and across federal policy in nonprofit organizations, I do not take a government shutdown lightly. But I am far more alarmed by the fear and instability that current practices are creating for young people who should be focused on learning, not living in daily uncertainty about their families and friends’ safety. Our leaders must put the safety of our children and our communities first.
“The public is clear: this has gone too far. A New York Times/Siena College poll shows a sizable majority of Americans believe Immigration and Customs Enforcement has overreached. A new Politico poll finds that nearly half of all Americans — including one in five voters who supported the president in 2024 — say the mass deportation campaign is too aggressive.
“The Senate must stand firm and vote no on this bill as it stands. Congress must reject policies that fuel fear in classrooms and destabilize families. Our nation’s children deserve safety, dignity, and an education system free from the trauma of reckless federal action.”
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