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Friend, All children have the right to access public education. But, in the U.S., some schools are putting up a fight when it comes to enrolling immigrant children. Thirty-nine years ago, in its landmark Plyler v. Doe decision, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that all children have the right to enroll in and attend public school, regardless of immigration status. The ruling emphasized that “education has a fundamental role in maintaining the fabric of our society.” Yet, immigrant students, the children of immigrants and English learners continue to face barriers that block access to public education. In some cases, schools deny enrollment to these students outright. More commonly, schools impose documentation requirements that result in the discouragement or effective denial of these students’ enrollment. That’s why we created a new guide for advocates and caregivers that shares basic tools to promote access to public education for all students, regardless of their background. The guide, Protecting Students’ Rights to a Public Education: A Guide for Advocates, makes it easy for families and students to understand what the Plyler v. Doe decision means for them and learn how to take action if necessary. You can read and share the manual for free here. In the past decade, state and local governments have attacked the rights of immigrants and their families through laws designed to burden their everyday lives – most infamously, Arizona’s SB 1070 and Alabama’s HB 56, which explicitly targeted the rights of immigrant children to a public education. Unfortunately, attacks on immigrant students’ access to education will likely continue. But, by arming caregivers and advocates with the information they need to push back against discriminatory policies, we can fight these attempts to segregate immigrant children. View the manual here to learn more about students’ and families’ rights, practical information for enrolling immigrant and English learner students, and view a sample letter to a school district identifying problematic policies and suggestions on how to change them.In solidarity, Your friends at the Southern Poverty Law Center
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