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Victoria Gomez de la Torre doesn鈥檛 know when 鈥� or if 鈥� the migrant children she serves are going to get the education help they鈥檝e come to rely on.

Gomez de la Torre oversees the migrant education program for 12 central Florida counties. The federally funded service helps the children of migrant agricultural workers, who move within and between states based on planting and harvesting seasons.

Her staff identifies agricultural workers who鈥檝e migrated to the area and helps them enroll their children in school. It also helps connect them with tutoring and medical care.

Earlier this summer, the Trump administration more than $6 billion in education funding, including money for migrant education, after-school programs, English-language programs for non-native speakers and other grants. Congress had already approved the money, but the administration said it wanted to conduct a review of the programs.

The administration announced last Friday it would the remaining $5.5 billion of the money, after unfreezing $1.3 billion earlier this month.

But for Gomez de la Torre鈥檚 program, the damage had already been done: Without the money, it had to shut down this summer.

鈥淲e didn鈥檛 have enough money left over to carry the program,鈥� said Joram Rejouis, the director of program development for the public schools in Alachua County, which includes Gainesville and is the largest of the 12 counties. 鈥淒efinitely, stopping the program caused damage.鈥�

The program came to a complete halt when Gomez de la Torre鈥檚 11 staff members were offered other positions in the school district. Throughout July, about five dozen migrant children across the 12 counties were without summer services. The were supposed to go out before the start of the month.

鈥淚t鈥檚 going horrendously,鈥� said Gomez de la Torre. 鈥淢igrant families depend on us, rely on our system and our help.鈥�

The Alachua County program serves about 1,000 to 1,200 children of migrant workers throughout the year, many in rural farming communities. Each year, roughly 17,000 migrant children are served by programs across Florida.

鈥淚t is a very valuable program for a very vulnerable population,鈥� Rejouis said. 鈥淒efinitely, stopping the program caused damage, period 鈥� for the families, for the program and for the district.鈥�

Migrant children are less likely to have regular primary care and are to face health conditions such as anemia and high blood pressure. Many migrant families who harvest food in the fields themselves.

The program also helps with communication and translation among parents, teachers and guidance counselors. 鈥淲e were their go-to for whenever they needed something,鈥� Gomez de la Torre said. 鈥淣ow, they don鈥檛 have us.鈥�

The freeze in funds added to the uncertainty and fear created by the Trump administration鈥檚 broader moves to target benefits for immigrants. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently it had added Head Start to the list of public programs that would be closed to immigrants who are here illegally. After the funding announcement earlier this month, a senior official the administration had established 鈥済uardrails鈥� to ensure the funds are not used 鈥渋n violation of Executive Orders.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 anybody鈥檚 guess when we鈥檒l come back,鈥� Gomez de la Torre said. 鈥淚f we鈥檒l come back. If people who chose to retire will return, if their retirement can be rescinded. 鈥� Nobody knows exactly how it鈥檚 going to play out.鈥�

A similar story is unfolding in California.

The statewide Mini Corps program, run by the Butte County Office of Education, north of Sacramento, connects migrant children at schools and labor camps with bilingual tutors who help them during the school day. Many of the tutors are former migrant children themselves, said Yvette Medina, who oversees the program.

The funding freeze forced聽the office to lay off around 400 workers statewide, according to聽spokesperson Travis Souders. Despite Friday鈥檚 announcement, the organization is waiting for official word 鈥� in writing 鈥� before reversing layoffs.

鈥淭here鈥檚 going to be many students out there who are just going to have another disadvantage to the disadvantages that we already have,鈥� Medina said.

In Santa Clara County, which includes San Jose, the program was forced to shut down altogether, according to Medina.

Medina grew up in migrant labor camps, following her parents to the fields at 4 a.m. as they picked cherries and grapes before she went to school. Her parents worked throughout the Central Valley, back in Mexico and up and down the West Coast, all the way to Oregon.

鈥淚t is devastating,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f it wasn鈥檛 for the migrant program, I know for a fact there鈥檚 no way I would have graduated high school.鈥�

Migrant families already are gripped with fear as the Trump administration ramps up immigration raids and arrests, which President Donald Trump insists are focused on those with criminal histories.

鈥淭hey are terrified,鈥� Gomez de la Torre said. 鈥淲e had families stop sending kids to school and others who fled the country.鈥�

Ruby Luis, a consultant who helps school districts across Florida identify and enroll migrant students in school, also was a migrant child. Her parents worked in orange groves, at strawberry and Christmas tree farms and produce-packing houses.

Program tutors read books with her and gave her school supplies. The program took her on college tours and she enrolled via a scholarship for migrant children 鈥� a first-generation college student. She eventually graduated with a degree in biology.

鈥淛ust having even somebody to talk to you about going to college 鈥� because you don鈥檛 have anybody to talk to about [that],鈥� she said. 鈥淗aving that support was really impactful.

鈥淭o take that away, and then now they just have to navigate it themselves, it creates these barriers,鈥� Luis said. 鈥淎nd it can ultimately leave these children not having access to education.鈥�

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