A federal judge on Thursday blocked the Trump administration policy barring illegal alien children from enrolling in Head Start, a Department of Health and Human Services program assisting with early childhood education.

Judge Ricardo Martinez issued the nationwide block, saying "this chilling effect results in the immediate harm of childhood education loss, disability support, dual language instruction, and stable learning environments, leading to long-term harms in development,” The Hill reported.

The HHS policy is part of a broader effort by the administration to remove illegal aliens from federal benefits as Trump seeks to encourage self-deportations.

A group of Head Start associations brought the challenge. Martinez's order marks the latest example of a federal judge issuing a nationwide stay on administration policies, despite a Supreme Court ruling that sought to rein in such practices.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.