Tracking migrant children in public schools crosses the line into immigration enforcement for some Republicans. In Oklahoma, Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) and schools Superintendent, Ryan Walters (R) are showing this split among GOP officials, reports J. David Goodman of The New York Times.  

Usually a hardliner on immigration enforcement and a great supporter of the current administration’s efforts for mass deportation, Stitt disagrees with a recent proposal by Walters to find migrant students in public schools. "When I saw them picking on kids, I thought that’s a step too far," said Stitt.  

In Tennessee, a bill that would allow local schools to deny migrant children access to education or charge them for attendance is causing similar clashes, reports Sarah Grace Taylor of the Nashville Banner.  

While the Republican bill’s co-sponsors claim they are not trying to attack immigrant families', just fixing a financial burden, Taylor notes that the financial argument is being challenged by many, including a couple of other Tennessee Republican legislators.  

"I think the argument, and the bill, is based on a false premise," said Aravind Boddupalli, a senior research associate at the Tax Policy Center. "Immigrants are a net positive in a cost-benefit analysis."  

Boddupalli cited, among other factors, the taxes all immigrants – documented and undocumented – pay to state and federal governments, despite having very limited government benefits.