US CONGRESSMAN

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Give our youths a shot at success

Last week, a federal judge temporarily blocked the US Department of Labor from moving forward with its plan to suspend operations at contractor-operated Job Corps Centers, including the one located in Laredo.
The federal court’s decision is the right one. The Department of Labor’s plan to shut down contractor-operated Job Corps Centers – including Laredo’s – will cause irreparable harm to students, staff, and South Texas communities.
Sending young people home in the middle of their training is just plain wrong.
Of the nearly 200 students currently participating at the Laredo Job Corps Center, 154 live on campus. For many of them, this is their only stable housing.
We cannot force kids out of their student housing at the start of the summer. It’s wrong and it should never have been considered in the first place.
Congress created Job Corps, and Congress funded it with nearly $1.8 billion in fiscal 2024 and continued funding through fiscal 2025. The Department does not have the authority to dismantle this life-changing program without Congressional input.
I proudly joined a bipartisan letter urging the Department of Labor to reverse course and protect these centers. Job Corps provides critical career training for over 20,000 young Americans, including hundreds in Laredo, many of whom are gaining skills in high-demand fields like welding, electrical, culinary arts, protective services, certified nursing assistance, facilities maintenance, accounting, and much more.
For many, this program is the difference between hardship and opportunity.
I will continue fighting to ensure Laredo’s Job Corps Center remains open and fully funded. We must strengthen programs that give our youths a shot at success and help meet our nation’s growing workforce needs.
The Laredo Job Corps Center has the capacity to serve 220 students and employs nearly 200 staff. It offers pathways to in-demand careers, high school equivalency programs, English language instruction, and internship opportunities. The Department’s original decision threatened not only the futures of those students but also the economic stability of hundreds of families in South Texas.