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~Education Issues~

EDUCATION INFORMATION - IN ENGLISH
EDUCATION INFORMATION - IN SPANISH

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Immigrant Students’ Right of Access

from National Coalition of Advocates for Students

The United States Supreme Court has ruled in Plyler v. Doe that undocumented children and young adults have the same right to attend public primary and secondary schools as do U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

Public schools are prohibited from:

• denying undocumented students admission to school on the basis of their undocumented status during initial enrollment or at any other time;

• treating undocumented students disparately on the basis of their undocumented status to determine residency;

• engaging in practices which may "chill" the right of access to public schools as established by Plyler v. Doe;

Public schools are prohibited at any time from:

• requiring student or parents to disclose or document their immigration status;

• making inquiries of students or parents which may expose their undocumented status;

• requiring social security numbers of all students, as it may expose the undocumented status of students or parents.

If a child’s school file should contain information exposing the student’s undocumented status, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and various state privacy acts prohibit schools from providing any outside agency—including the Immigration and Naturalization Service—with such information without first acquiring permission from the student’s parents.

In summary, public schools and their personnel are prohibited under Plyler v. Doe from adopting policies or taking action which either deny or result in the denial of access by undocumented students to public schools on the basis of their undocumented status. Additionally, school personnel—especially building principals and those involved with student intake activities—should be informed by the superintendent that they are under no legal obligation to enforce U. S. immigration laws.

Antes De El Inicio Del Año Escolar.

para National Coalition of Advocates for Students

En 1982, La Corte Suprema decidió en el caso titulado Plyler v. Doe, 457 U. S. 202 (1982), que los estudiantes indocumentados tienen el derecho de asistir a las escuelas públicas. Mas claramente, la corte determinó que los niños y los adultos jóvenes indocumentados, tienen el mismo derecho a las escuelas públicas primarias y secundarias que el que tienen sus contrapartes de nacionalidad estadounidense.

Bajo esta decisión esta prohibido:

• Negar admisión a la escuela a estudiantes indocumentatdos basado en su estado de ser indocumentado, ya sea al momento de la matricula o en cualquier otro meomento.

• Tratar a los estudiantes indocumentados de manera discriminatoria en lo referente a la determinación de lugar de residencia basado en su estado como indocumentados.

• Tomar medidas or reglamentos que pudieran resultar en "atemorizar" a la comunidad indocumentada aobre su derecho de acceso alas escuelas públicas como lo estableció el caso Plyler.

Mas especificamente, las escuelas públicas tienen prohibido en todo momento, lo siguiente:

• Reguerir alos estudiantes o a sus padres que declaren y/o documenten su estado de inmigración.

• Hacer investigaciones de los estudiantes o sus padres que pueden resultar en la exposición del estado indocumentado del estudiante o sus padres.

• Requerir el número de tarjeta de seguro social de cualquier estudiante, lo cual podría resultar en la delación del estado indocumentado del estudiante o sus padres.

Si el archivo personal de un niño contuviera información delatora del estado indocumentado del estudiante, FERPA (Derechos Educacionales para la Familia y el Acta de Privacidad) y las actas estatales de privacidad prohiben a las escuelas el facilitar a cualquier agencia ajena a la escuela, incluyendo la migra, información al respecto; sin antes conseguir el permiso de los padres del estudiante.

En resumen, las escuelas públicas y su personal tienen prohibido bajo la decisión Plyler, el adoptar políticas o tomar cualquier acción que niegue, o que resulte en negar el derecho al acceso que los estudiantes indocumentados tienen a la educación basado en su estado indocumentado. El personal de las escuelas—especialmente principales y secretarios—deberían ser informados por el superintendente de que ellos no tienen ninguna obligación legal de imponer a otros que cumplan con la leyes migratorias y, aun mas, que tienen prohibido tomar cualquier acción que niegue a los estudiantes indocumentados su derecho al acceso a la educación pública.

 

 

This page was created 04/99.

DISCLAIMER: This web page a work-in-progress. We are attempting to add to it as we learn more, and we make corrections when inaccuracies come to our attention.  If you observe any mistakes or have any suggested additions, please EMAIL US.  Even though our site is imperfect and not intended to be relied upon as a substitute for legal advice, we hope people will find it informative and helpful. In any case, visitors should not entirely rely on the completeness or accuracy of the information on the webpage, but should confirm information for themselves before making assumptions.

 

 

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