A federal judge recently overturned a Trump administration policy that required people who are enrolled in adult education programs, such as English language or GED classes, to provide proof of citizenship or residency.
It’s unclear, though, what Indiana will do.
Last July, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development updated its policy to require students in adult education programs to provide proof of their citizenship or immigration status in response to Trump’s order.
A spokesperson for the Indiana Department of Workforce Development did not respond to multiple requests for comment on this story. However, as of Oct. 5, the department’s website on active policies still lists its protocol for requiring students in adult education programs to provide documentation of citizenship or legal status.
Now that President Donald Trump’s guidance has been thrown out by a judge, no state is required to comply with it, two legal experts told Mirror Indy.
The Trump administration had requested that the policy only be reversed in the 21 states that sued over the order, but the judge denied that request, according to Rachel F. Moran, professor and director of the Education Law program at Texas A&M University School of Law.
“So, there is no notice in place for any state,” Moran said in an email to Mirror Indy.
But that doesn’t mean that Indiana necessarily has to reverse course.
“Indiana might say to someone, ‘Well, they can’t force the new ruling on me, but that doesn’t prevent me from deciding on my own that I’m still going to enforce the requirement,’” said Sam Kalen, a professor at IU McKinney School of Law and administrative law expert.
According to federal data, over 27,000 people enrolled in adult education programs in Indiana from July 2024 to June 2025, the most recent available numbers. About 40% of those students were in English language classes.
Background on the lawsuit
The Trump administration’s directive in 2025 reversed a nearly 30-year policy that made noncitizens eligible for certain federal education programs. That included adult basic education and English classes.
The Trump directive also made many noncitizens ineligible for other federally funded programs like Head Start preschool classes and certain health centers.
Indiana did not just target access for undocumented immigrants. In line with federal guidance at the time, the state’s policy also declared certain immigrants with legal status ineligible for the programs.
That included those on temporary work visas and with pending asylum claims. Limiting anyone from accessing those programs was a change from long-standing federal policy.
Twenty-one Democratic state attorneys sued the federal government over the policy in July 2025, arguing that forcing states to verify legal status of everyone in each of these federally funded programs would burden the states and discourage people from seeking services.
On Sept. 21, U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy ruled in favor of those states. In her decision, McElroy wrote that the Trump administration’s policy had violated the Administrative Procedure Act, a law that outlines basic rules for how federal agencies make laws. The judge’s ruling said the administration did not give people the proper opportunity to comment on the proposed changes.
The court left the door open for the federal government to reinstate the policy if the administration allows for a public comment period as required by the law.
How did the 2025 order affect Indy programs?
The Indiana Department of Workforce Development is responsible for distributing federal funds to local schools and adult education programs.
Starting Sept. 10, 2025, Indiana required adult education providers to verify and report that its adult education students have legal status in the U.S.
According to the policy document, participants have to provide their U.S. birth certificate, Real ID or Department of Homeland Security immigration documents.
The Trump administration’s rule also impacted local school districts, because they receive state funding.
Three school districts in Indianapolis have such programs.
Washington, Wayne and Warren Township Adult Education programs all now require students to provide a valid ID to register for classes, according to guidance listed on the districts’ respective websites.
In Warren Township, adult education director Natalie Reuter said the district saw a 50% drop in enrollment for its English language classes after the legal status requirement was implemented last year.
“It felt very close to home,” Reuter said. “From Warren Township’s perspective, we want to serve the whole community — all the family and all the parents.”
Todd Deley, director of Washington Township Adult Education, estimated that enrollment dropped at least 12% or 13% after implementing the changes last fall — and that’s just from people that the district had to turn away when they registered for class and couldn’t provide the appropriate ID.
“We’re in the business of educating people and helping people,” Deley said, “So I think it was hard for my staff.”
Both Reuter and Deley said they had not heard any additional guidance from the state about the recent federal ruling.
A spokesperson from Wayne Township did not respond to Mirror Indy’s questions about the federal ruling.
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Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact Claire by email claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org, at 317-759-0249 or on most social media @clairerafford.
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