Representatives Norma Torres and Pete Aguilar Lead Call to Reopen Inland Empire Job Corps Center Following Abrupt Closure and Court Orders
Washington, D.C. – Today, Inland Empire Representatives Norma Torres and Pete Aguilar, joined by Reps. Raul Ruiz, Judy Chu, and Mark Takano, sent a letter demanding immediate action from the Department of Labor (DOL), Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer to fully reopen the Inland Empire Job Corps Center in San Bernardino, California. The letter also calls on DOL to follow recent federal court orders to keep the Job Corps Centers open and for the Trump Administration to reverse its reckless May 29 announcement to shut down the Job Corps program, which provides at-risk youth career pathways in business and industry.
The Job Corps is a national program with over 120 centers across the country offering tuition-free education and job training to low-income youth ages 16-24. The center in San Bernardino has served the Inland Empire community for decades. On May 29, the Trump Administration started shutting down Job Corps Centers, forcing hundreds of students, many of whom live in the Inland Empire Job Corps Center, to leave the campus with just a few days' notice and limited support.
Congress appropriated nearly $1.8 billion to Job Corps programs in Fiscal Year 2024, with funding continuing at that same level in Fiscal Year 2025. The Trump Administration’s decision to shut down the program contradicts its own stated goals of putting American workers first and will take away opportunities for young people in the Inland Empire, especially at a time when many industries, such as construction and manufacturing, are facing labor shortages.
“As Members of the Inland Empire Congressional Delegation, we express our extreme concerns regarding your announcement to implement a nationwide “phased pause” in the Job Corps program. This led to the abrupt changes for the Inland Empire Job Corps Center at 3173 Kerry St. in San Bernardino that serves our communities, forcing more than 120 students to leave,” said the members. “The Job Corps program has, for over 50 years, offered tuition-free education for low-income young people ages 16 through 24 to help complete their high school education, train them for good-paying careers, and help them get jobs. As such, we demand you strictly follow the federal court’s June 4, 2025, temporary restraining order and June 25, 2025, preliminary injunction.”
“The Job Corps program currently serves around 25,000 young Americans nationwide, offering them a lifeline and the opportunity to learn critical vocational and technical job skills to enter the workforce. Since 2023, more than 6,200 Californians have enrolled in Job Corps, with more than 2,400 of them coming from the counties of Riverside, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles. Until the abrupt and chaotic changes, the Inland Empire Job Corps Center served 340 students, teaching them much-needed skills to work in careers and trades industries, such as automotive, construction, homeland security, manufacturing, transportation, health care.”
“We demand that DOL take swift action to reopen the Inland Empire Job Corps Center and allow students to return and resume their program. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we look forward to a prompt response,” the members continued.
Representatives Torres and Aguilar are committed to working with local partners to protect the futures of Job Corps students and the economic health of the Inland Empire.
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