Friend, NILC is committed to defending the constitutionally-protected right to education for all students — regardless of immigration status — and we are tracking any potential threats to undermine this right.

Last week, a Texas state legislator filed a bill that seeks to stop undocumented students, as young as five years old, from enrolling in public schools. This bill is not just a cruel attack on Texan children; it’s a calculated attempt to create a legal pretext to challenge Plyler v. Doe, the landmark Supreme Court case holding that it is unconstitutional for a state to deny access to public elementary or secondary education to students based on their immigration status.

Whether or not this bill gains traction, its introduction seeks to create fear and confusion in families and further divide our communities.

Friend, we will NOT stand for continued attention-seeking political attempts to dismantle our rights. Everyone has the right to an education — period.

NILC has long defended Plyler’s guarantee of the right to education for all, regardless of immigration status — and we will continue to fight to protect that right, including by tracking this bill and other attempts to attack access to education.

It has been unconstitutional for states to deny students an education based on immigration status for the past 41 years — and that should never change. We will keep fighting for the rights we all deserve.

Sincerely,

Kica Matos
Executive Vice President, Programs & Strategy
National Immigration Law Center