The Trump administration released President Trump’s budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2020 on March 11, 2019. This document provides an overview of the Department of Labor and the Department of Education budget requests for their immigration-related responsibilities and compares the requests to the amounts enacted by Congress for FY 2019 and the President’s budget request for FY 2019.
Department of Labor (DOL)
Employment and Training: Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth Employment and Training Programs under Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA): $3.2 billion [FY 2019 Enacted Funding: $3.5 billion (9 percent decrease); FY 2019 President’s Budget Request: $2 billion (60 percent increase)]. These programs provide eligible adults and youth, including certain immigrants, with employment and training services through nearly 2,500 One-Stop Career Centers located in communities throughout the country. The request is at the WIOA-authorized levels. This includes all the below bullet points.
- Adult Program: $846 million [FY 2019 Enacted Funding: $846 million (no change); FY 2019 President’s Budget Request: $490 million (72 percent increase)]. This program assists disadvantaged, low-skilled, unemployed and underemployed eligible adults to gain the skills and credentials needed to successfully compete in the workforce. (One-third of low-skilled adults in the United States are immigrants).
- Youth Program: $903 million [FY 2019 Enacted Funding: $903 million (no change); FY 2019 President’s Budget Request: $524 million (72 percent increase)]. This program prepares eligible youth and young adults for jobs or post-secondary education through career guidance, support for educational attainment, training assistance, and other related services.
- Dislocated Worker Program: $1.2 billion [FY 2019 Enacted Funding: $1.3 billion (8 percent decrease); FY 2019 President’s Budget Request: $667 million (80 percent increase)]. This program prepares eligible displaced workers for new jobs and careers, including individuals who have been terminated or laid off, recipients of unemployment insurance, and displaced homemakers.
- Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers Program: $0 [FY 2019 Enacted Funding: $89 million (100 percent decrease); FY 2019 President’s Budget Request: $0 (no change)]. The request calls for ending the Migrant and Season Farmworker program. This program provides employment, job training, and housing assistance to migrant and seasonal farmworkers in the United States and Puerto Rico.
- Apprenticeship Program: $160 million [FY 2019 Enacted Funding: $160 million (no change); FY 2019 President’s Budget Request: $200 million (20 percent decrease)]. Registered Apprenticeship is an “earn and learn” model that allows participants to gain academic knowledge and on-the-job skills while earning a paycheck and meeting the workforce needs of This funding will be used to expand registered apprenticeship opportunities across the country.
- Workforce Data Quality Initiative: $0 [FY 2019 Enacted Funding: $6 million (100 percent decrease); FY 2019 President’s Budget Request: $0 (no change)]. The request calls for ending the Workforce Data Quality Initiative. These grants are aimed at helping states build integrated data systems to streamline WIOA performance reporting and support states’ efforts to create wage data matching infrastructure.
Employment Service (Wagner-Peyser): $683 million [FY 2019 Enacted Funding: $683 million (no change); FY 2019 President’s Budget Request: $436 million (57 percent increase)]. These grants to states fund a universal access program that provides job seekers with virtual and in-person employment services, while providing employers with a range of services to help them access a qualified workforce.
Foreign Labor Certification (UTF): $71 million [FY 2019 Enacted Funding: $71 million (no change); FY 2019 President’s Budget Request: $62 million (15 percent increase)]. This funding supports federal foreign labor certification programs, including placing job orders and conducting required housing inspections for H-2A workers, and includes State Grants.
- State Grants: $14.3 million for state grants [FY 2019 Enacted Funding: $14.3 million (no Change); FY 2019 President’s Budget Request: $14.3 million (no change)]. These grants fund state employment services that support federal labor certification programs.
Workforce Information-Electronic-Tools-System Building (One Stop): $59 million [FY 2019 Enacted Funding: $63 million (6 percent decrease); FY 2019 President’s Budget Request: $67 million (12 percent decrease)]. These grants, electronic tools, and other products assist job seekers with making informed career decisions by providing data on careers, skill requirements, employment projections and other workforce information. Other activities include technical assistance and grants to increase the capacity of the public workforce system and to help it meet the needs of job seekers and employers.
Department of Education
Career and Technical Education: $1.28 billion [FY 2019 Enacted Funding: $1.27 billion (1 percent increase); FY 2019 President’s Budget Request: $1.14 billion (12 percent increase)]. Programs under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act prepare youth and adults to succeed in the workforce through secondary and post-secondary career and technical education programs. This includes State Grants.
- State Grants: $1.3 billion [FY 2019 Enacted Funding: $1.3 billion (no change); FY 2019 President’s Budget Request: $1.1 billion (18 percent increase)]. These grants fund state career and technical education programs.
Adult Education: $560 million [FY 2019 Enacted Funding: $656 million (15 percent decrease); FY 2019 President’s Budget Request: $500 billion (12 percent increase)]. Programs under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act assist adults who do not have a high school diploma or equivalent to become literate and obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for postsecondary education, employment and economic self-sufficiency. This includes State Grants.
- State Grants: $486 million [FY 2019 Enacted Funding: $642 million (24 percent decrease); FY 2019 President’s Budget Request: $486 million (no change)]. These grants fund state adult basic and literacy education programs, including English Literacy/Civics Education services, which support access to English literacy programs linked to civics education.
English Language Acquisition: $737 million [FY 2019 Enacted Funding: $737 million (no change); FY 2019 President’s Budget Request: $737 million (no change)]. These grants to states aim to help English learners in U.S. schools attain English language proficiency and become ready for post-secondary education and careers.