Jun. 7—River Brown, 23, has been floating around food service jobs since she was 15. Struggling to pay for the cost of living and facing homelessness, she joined the Albuquerque Job Corps in February.
Three months into the welding trade, Brown is being uprooted with little to no warning.
“I was lucky enough and I learned quickly enough that in the three months I was here, I was able to get some good certifications,” she said. “If I can get a roof over my head for just long enough, and I can find a good job and apply to it and get a place — my next few years are looking up.”
The U.S. Department of Labor announced a “phased pause” in operations at all 99 contractor-operated Job Corps centers nationwide on May 29, including two in New Mexico. Initiating a transition for thousands of students, staff and communities, the decision follows an internal review of the program’s outcome.
The shakeup is part of President Donald Trump’s larger effort to cut back on federal government spending. Many programs targeted by his Department of Government Efficiency have supported diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, those aimed at the poor — such as Medicaid — and those that lose significant money. Job Corps, in many ways, checks all three of those boxes.
Federal Judge Andrew Carter barred the implementation of Job Corps pauses by granting a temporary restraining order Wednesday. This includes action on any stop-work orders, termination and non-renewal notices, as well as working on any shutdown tasks, job terminations or student removals. A hearing is scheduled for June 17.
“The Department of Labor is working closely with the Department of Justice to evaluate and comply with the temporary restraining order,” a DOL spokesperson said. “We remain confident that our actions are consistent with the law.”
On Friday, New Mexico Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján, both Democrats, joined 37 Senate colleagues in signing a letter opposing the cuts. “The Administration’s decision to illegally and abruptly terminate Job Corps center operations has left 25,000 students and thousands of staff across 99 Job Corps centers in the lurch,” a portion of the letter read.
The Job Corps program has faced financial challenges under its current operating structure, according to the DOL’s news release. It has a projected deficit of $213 million by program year 2025. A DOL analysis found financial performance and operational costs from program year 2023, the most recent available metrics, did not “align” with the Trump administration’s fiscal year 2026 budget.
Additionally, the findings show an average graduation rate of 38.6% and 14,913 infractions nationwide, including reports of inappropriate sexual behavior, acts of violence, breaches of safety or security, drug use and hospital visits.
President Lyndon B. Johnson created Job Corps in 1964 to increase the employability of young adults by providing them with education, vocational training and useful work experience. Enrolled students also have access to housing for up to three years. The program has helped over two million people since its implementation.
New Mexico houses Job Corps centers in Albuquerque and Roswell. Both centers enrolled a combined 461 students in the 2023 program year, according to the Job Corps Transparency Report. Costs per enrollee were $57,532.62 in Albuquerque and $56,389.29 in Roswell.
Centers nationwide had until June 30 to pause operations, and students in Albuquerque were told to move out Friday. But the temporary restraining order now allows those individuals to stay on campus, while also leaving the door open for those who left.
Zack Theuret, 21, has moved from house to house his whole life. He never felt bonded to anything until he joined the Job Corps’ carpentry program.
“Coming here, only three months in, it feels like a family, teachers included,” Theuret said. “It’s something to take for granted. Free food, free housing, growing with relationships and people.”
Jobs for America’s Graduates New Mexico, or JAG-NM, is a nonprofit organization aiding schools and community centers working with students at risk of dropping out or those who have already — providing educational opportunities, employment searching and military enlistments.
The organization launched an emergency support initiative Monday to aid displaced Job Corps students, assess their needs and provide immediate resources. As part of this, JAG-NM is calling on outside groups to help with housing, workforce, education, mental health, social services, transportation and legal assistance.
Between the Albuquerque and Roswell locations, JAG-NM Executive Director Kaity Parent estimates 600 students and 170 staffers will be impacted.
“We’re doing two things: First, we’re making sure that immediate needs are getting met, that’s housing, food, transportation and medical care,” Parent said. “The next thing we’re doing is enrolling students who need to complete their GED or high school diploma, or they need help getting into jobs, higher ed or (the) military.”
Days after the initial pause, she couldn’t sleep and was eating once a day. The restraining order came as a “breath of fresh air,” allowing the group to take a step back and assess where help is needed most.
“Some people really want to hear a doomsday story, when really, there is a lot of positivity here. The people who care are showing up, and we really want you all to know how much we care about you,” Parent said, gesturing to a group of students. “We’re not going to let you fall through the cracks.”
Sarita Nair, New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions secretary, said the state department is the state’s administrative entity for the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, of which Job Corps is a part of.
“Job Corps is a really vital piece of the entire landscape of workforce programs in New Mexico,” Nair said. “They serve a very high needs demographic.”
DWS was not made aware of the pause until May 29, she said. The department began planning relief programs with JAG-NM soon after.
In collaboration with JAG-NM and various other organizations, the DWS held resource events at New Mexico’s Job Corps centers Wednesday, offering students employment opportunities, housing and access to other essential services.
DWS will hold a hiring fair on June 10 to aid Roswell and Albuquerque Job Corps staffers.
“We just wanted to give them some space after they take care of the kids to start thinking about their own careers,” Nair said.
If Job Corps pauses, Parent said displaced students could end up homeless. And without access to basic needs, students may do “whatever they can” to get it, possibly ending up in jail, she added.
“We’re talking about 16- to 24-year-olds who already had barriers in their life. They’ve probably already been abandoned in their life. They’ve probably been kicked out of their homes. They’ve probably been kicked out of schools,” Parent said. “This is just one more time they’re being kicked out, and they didn’t do anything wrong.”