Students without legal status have the right to attend a public school. Will Trump try to change this?

This article is also available in English. Read it hereS

Fund cuts. I went to bed near the schools. Exclusion of programs such as main start and vocational training. For months, the Trump administration undermines the rights of students without legal status in public schools.

Can the administration completely withdraw the right to release public education to these students? Experts say this may be the next step.

“People have several decades, concerned about this, but it’s different,” says Patricia Gandara, a teacher of education and a UCLA civil rights project ratio. “We have to be extremely vigilant right now. These people will not stop at all.”

Decision from the United States Supreme Court of 1982, Plyler vs. It guarantees all students, regardless of their immigration status, the right to release public education in primary and secondary schools. Last year, however, Foundation for Conservative Heritage asked the Supreme Court that he annulled the decision and that countries accept recorded in immigrant families, even if their children are American citizens. The justification is that schools spend billions of dollars on the education of these students, money, which, on the other hand, should be allocated to students who, together with their parents, are US citizens by birth.

The 2025 project, also published by the Inheritance Foundation, This sounds this visionS

Politics of this type would have a huge impact on California, where almost half of the children have at least one father an immigrant, according to California Institute for Public PolicyS

“This would have huge negative effects,” says Megan Hopkins, director of the UC San Diego education department. “For starters, we would have a population of a smaller educational level and less literate, which would affect the economy and virtually all other aspects of life in California.”

Registration for no -graded

The Plyler case against DOE arose from a case in Texas in the early 1980s. The state has approved a law that allows schools to register non -citizers. Tyler’s independent school area, Texas, a small town about 160 kilometers southeast of Dallas, was one of the areas he tried, which caused a case that finally brought the case to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, arguing that children who are not citizens are entitled to the same protection before the law. However, the decision was adjusted – 5 to 4 – despite the fact that the court is more liberal than today.

Since then, the decision has practically fallen for oblivion. However, there are accidental attempts to limit the presence of immigrants in schools, both in California and elsewhere. In 1994 California voters approved a proposal 187 They prohibit immigrants who have lived illegally in the United States to receive public benefits, including access to public schools. A federal court blocked him before the entry into force.

In 2011, Alabama approved a law forcing schools to collect information about students’ immigration status. This law was subsequently blocked by a federal court. In 2022, Texas Governor Greg Abat, It was announced in favor of the Plyler V review. Doe And he said that countries should not pay for the education of students without legal immigration status.

After the inheritance Foundation published its report, about half a dozen countries tried to approve laws to allow schools to register non -citizens. No one was approved last year, but the defenders said they were planning to continue trying.

Route to the Supreme Court

They probably have a complete supporter in President Donald Trump, who has so far followed many of the policies proposed by the project in 2025. In recent months, his administration has strengthened migratory arrests and declares that he will no longer recognize schools as safe shelters against the authorities. It also reduced (although it subsequently reimburses them after the requests of the United States) funding for migrant students and prohibit students without a law for access to a major start, education for adults and professional and technical education.

The issue can come to the Supreme Court in at least two ways. A state may approve a law that allows public schools to collect registration, which would lead to a case that may come to the Supreme Court. Or Trump could issue an enforcement order that could also lead to a case.

Erwin Kemendski, Dean of UC Berkeley’s right to the right to the right to Trump’s actions, as the exclusion of children without legal status as a major start, are already a violation of Plyler.

“There is no doubt that the Trump administration has increased the pressure on Paler,” Cheesherinski said. “Undoubtedly, what Trump is doing can lead to cases that come to the Supreme Court. Can this court set aside Paler’s decision? Of course. It would be enough that five judges would like to cancel it.”

Even if they are not canceled, current changes in policies have a negative effect on immigrant schools and families, said Hopkins of the University of California at San Diego. School aid has declined In communities who are experiencing drastic measures against immigration, which has academic consequences for some students and expand the difference in implementation between Latin students and other groups. A Recent report At an analysis of the California education policy, he revealed that Latin and English students have received more and more English and English results after the arrests of immigration in their communities and reported a significant increase in harassment.

Hopkins also said that policies are not particularly effective. If the goal is to encourage immigrants to voluntarily return to their countries of origin, investigations show that this usually does not happen. After the approval of the anti -migrant law in Alabama in 2011, many families simply moved to Mississippi.

“Our biggest fear”

In Monterey County, new policies have generated generalized fear and confusion among immigrant families, said Danny Gels, Chief of the Monterey County Education Office. The aid has decreased not only in schools but also in community events.

In order to support families, schools organize information nights, “know their rights” (personally and practically), they encourage parents to submit plans for school care, if a father is arrested, distribute Spanish brochures on how to help children and provide and secure and provide a wide range of legal and other resourcesS

But when the Trump administration announced that it would forbid entry from starting with students without legal status, “made me think,” Tik said. “He made me think they really went for Paler. It’s our biggest fear.”

He is concerned about the impact that this would have on families, as well as on the school staff, who would suddenly be responsible for checking the students’ citizenship documentation. Currently, schools do not ask about students’ immigration status.

“The work of the teachers is already quite difficult,” Gils said. “It is our job to give children the best possible education. They do not force us to become immigration agents. This is a position we do not want.”

He urges parents and the public to be informed and raise their voice. Regardless of whether the Supreme Court overturns Plyler’s decision, it is almost certain that anti -migrant policies will continue with devastating consequences for students.

“We can’t stay with our hands crossed and pretend everything will be fine,” Gils said. “People need to make sure that their voice is heard. And we must fight for our children.”