Reps. García, Meng, Vargas, and Espaillat Oppose the Dismantling of Office Supporting English Language Learners, Call for Reversal of Decision

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Tuesday, U.S. Representatives Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Grace Meng (NY-06), Juan Vargas (CA-52), and Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) , joined by 41 colleagues, sent a letter urging U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to immediately reverse the Department of Education’s decision to dismantle the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) and terminate nearly all its staff. 

In the letter, Members denounce the Department’s March decision to merge OELA into the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), stating it “severely undermines the Department’s ability to meet its legal and moral obligations to English Learners (ELs).

“Dismantling OELA is an outright attack on the more than five million English Learners in our public schools,” the letter states. “These students—most of whom are U.S. citizens–deserve targeted support and resources. Gutting the very office responsible for that support is not just irresponsible—it’s indefensible.”

OELA oversees key federal programs, including the $890 million Title II English Language Acquisition grants, and supports initiatives to recruit bilingual educators, improve instruction, and disseminate resources through the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA). The termination of OELA staff with specialized expertise, the letter argues, jeopardizes the Department’s ability to administer these programs and enforce Title III requirements. 

The letter emphasizes that OELA is statutorily mandated to operate as a standalone office reporting directly to the Secretary. Its elimination raises serious legal questions and signals a disregard for congressional intent under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). 

The letter demands full transparency on the legal and equity impact of the Department’s actions, and they request a response by April 30, 2025. The letter also poses direct questions to Secretary McMahon about the Department’s plans for administering Title III grants, conducting equity analyses, and ensuring the continued prioritization of English Learners under the reorganized structure.

“We commend Congressman García for standing up for English Learners at a time when their access to quality education is under threat,” said Janet Murguia, President and CEO, UnidosUS. “The Department’s decision to gut OELA not only undermines critical educational support, but it also violates the principles of equity and inclusion for all students. We urge the Administration to reinstate OELA as an independent office with the authority and expertise our students deserve.”

“The hypocrisy is befuddling. Just weeks after signing an executive order mandating English as our official language, the president destroys the office dedicated to helping students learn it,” said Randi Weingarten, President of American Federation of Teachers. “President Trump might not care, but as the union representing most of the educators who teach in schools with English language learners, we are committed to the intellectual and social development of all students—and we will continue to fight for the tools and resources they need to succeed and navigate the world around them.”

A full text of the letter is available here. 

Co-signers of the letter include: Reps. Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Monica McIver (NJ-10), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) Shri Thanadar (MI-13), Darren Soto (FL-09), Linda Sánchez (CA-36), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Salud Carabajal (CA-24), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Henry “Hank Johnson” (GA-04), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Norma Torres (CA-35), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Danny Davis (IL-07), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Dina Titus (NV-01), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Summer Lee (PA-13), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Judy Chu (CA-28), Ed Case (HI-01), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Sarah McBride (DE-AL), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Janice Schakowsky (IL-09), Greg Casar (TX-35), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Jared Huffman (CA-02), and Jerrold Nadler (NY-12). 

A full list of endorsing organizations is available here. 

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