The Oklahoma State Board of Education is considering a proposal that would require parents to show proof of their child’s citizenship or immigration status when enrolling them in public schools. State Superintendent Ryan Walters is spearheading the plan.
Would students be removed from school?
His plan would not prohibit students without legal immigration status from attending school but would rather keep a tally. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling, in 1982, affirmed the right of children living in the country illegally to attend public school.
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Why is the state superintendent proposing this?
Walters has said he supports efforts by President Donald Trump to enforce immigration laws. That includes allowing immigration and customs enforcement agents to enter public schools in Oklahoma. He says public schools will be forced to comply with the rule if passed.
Walters maintains he is putting Oklahoma students first. He claims the increase of students illegally in the country is negatively affecting public schools.
“Schools are crippled by the flood of illegal immigrants and the Biden-Harris open border policy,” Walters said.
Walters has also been a critic of what he believes is a “woke ideology” in schools.
What has been the reaction locally?
His immigration plan is being met with strong opposition, including from administrators in Oklahoma City. The city teaches more than 30,000 public school students.
Oklahoma City Public Schools Superintendent Jamie Polk says the district is 57% Hispanic. She sent a letter home to parents that said every child has a right to public education, regardless of immigration status. She also said the district does not have plans to collect the immigration status of students or their families.
State Sen. Arturo Alonso-Sandoval weighed in on the immigration plan. He said there is fear in the Hispanic community and some parents have asked him if they should remove their children from schools.
What happens from here?
Currently, the state superintendent’s proposal is still in its planning stage. The plan still needs approval from state lawmakers and the governor before it takes effect.
