Washington, DC – The White House released its fiscal year 2021 budget priorities today. Unsurprisingly, the Administration once again endorses a vision for the country that puts community separation through detention and deportation over the education, health, and wellbeing of children and families. While this budget is unlikely to gain much traction in Congress, it provides voters insight into what the president’s priorities will be leading into the November elections.

The proposed $4.8 trillion budget includes drastic cuts to major domestic and safety net programs, including billions in cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), as well as stricter restrictions on Social Security Disability Insurance and work requirements for food stamp eligibility. Moreover, while the budget calls for a 3% increase in funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including $2 billion for a border wall, it cuts funding for the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), agencies that are critical to supporting our students in the classroom and ensuring that our communities have access to essential health services.

“The president’s budget priorities dismiss the fact that Southeast Asian Americans face systemic poverty, barriers to educational opportunities, and challenges to quality healthcare. Despite these realities, the president chooses to invest money into the detention and deportation machine that focuses on terrorizing families,” said Quyen Dinh, executive director of SEARAC. “While this Administration continues to lead with divisiveness, we will not lose hope, and we will continue to fight for a country that puts love, family, and community above all else. We call on Congress to join us by denouncing this budget and to reallocate money to programs and agencies that focus on helping our students to achieve, our elders to age with dignity, and our families to thrive.”

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