GOP calls to get undocumented children out of public schools grow

Republicans are ramping up talks of overturning Plyler v. Doe, the Supreme Court decision that gave undocumented children rights to a free public education.  

The talks have stretched from Republican states such as Tennessee to the White House, accelerating an immigration crackdown in education under President Trump that began at U.S. universities with foreign students who struggled to get visas or were arrested for their political activism. 

At a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing this month, Republican lawmakers said the Supreme Court had no right to make the decision and the additional cost of undocumented immigrants in schools was a burden on taxpayers. 

“It’s time we meet the moment to overturn Plyler v. Doe. It’s time for Congress and the courts to address the glaring failures of this court decision and finally alleviate Texans and Americans alike from this burden,” said Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas).

Data regarding the learning difficulties undocumented students may experience “should prompt a broader discussion about demands placed on schools and educators who must use limited resources meant for American students by American taxpayers to help immigrant children achieve proficiency standards,” Roy said.  

And The New York Times reported this week that Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff, said in a meeting with Texas lawmakers they should consider ending funding for undocumented kids in schools. 

An analysis from the Center for Immigration Studies in 2023 estimated that in 2021, 3.2 million children in public schools were from households headed by an undocumented immigrant, but there is no........

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