Los Angeles City Councilmember and mayoral candidate Nithya Raman criticized the Trump administration for a proposed federal rule that mandates all Head Start programs nationwide to conduct education in English. The proposal forms part of a broader overhaul of the federal preschool program by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Raman expressed concerns in a series of posts, emphasizing that this change would impact communities like Los Angeles, where many children speak a language other than English at home. California’s Head Start programs support a considerable number of dual-language learners.

“As mayor, I will fight back against Trump’s plan to gut a program that gives every LA child a strong start,” Raman stated. “I’ll use the full capacity of the mayor’s office to contest this mandate and collaborate with our school district to consider a lawsuit if necessary to safeguard our families’ rights.”

Corey DeAngelis, a research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, countered Raman’s position, suggesting that language debate exposes broader issues within the federal program. Head Start should be sunset, he remarked. He noted that a key federal evaluation showed Head Start was ineffective in lasting student outcomes and costly for taxpayers.

The proposed Head Start overhaul, announced in August by HHS, requires that all education be conducted in English, prioritizing English instruction for children whose native language is not English. Exceptions exist for certain American Indian and Alaska Native programs utilizing tribal languages.

DeAngelis contended that requiring English instruction would benefit Head Start children by better preparing them for English-speaking classrooms. Nithya Raman attacks the Trump administration for requiring Head Start to teach English, he added, stressing that English is the language of American schools.

HHS highlighted that the change aims to equip children for school by aligning Head Start with President Trump’s executive order, which named English as the United States’ official language. An HHS spokesperson indicated that a strong foundation in English is a crucial aspect of preparing children for school.

Roxanne Hoge, chairwoman of the Los Angeles County Republican Party, defended the proposed English-language requirement, emphasizing the government’s interest in ensuring language proficiency for children benefiting from taxpayer-funded programs. She criticized Raman’s stance, stating, English is the way Americans communicate with each other, and the government has an interest in everyone becoming proficient in our country’s language. Hoge highlighted the availability of various school options for learning multiple languages in LA.

Los Angeles County received nearly $1.5 billion in annual funds for Head Start programs for fiscal year 2024, serving 68,126 enrolled children across California, excluding specific programs for American Indian and Alaska Native, Migrant, and Seasonal families. Nationally, Head Start data indicated that over 283,000 participants lived in households where another language was spoken, or they were learning another language in addition to English.

Fox News Digital reached out to Raman, the White House, and HHS for further comment but did not receive an immediate response.