In Texas, state and local school officials proposed to deny access to public schools to children of undocumented workers. The 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling stands as the federal law regarding the admission of undocumented children to public schools. Plyler guarantees undocumented children the right to a free public education. The court believed that denying undocumented children access to education unfairly punished the children for their parents’ undocumented status.
Outcome – As a result of the ruling, schools may not deny admission to a student on the basis of undocumented status, treat a student fundamentally differently from others to determine residency, engage in practices that discourage access to school, require students or parents to disclose or document immigration status, make inquiries of students or parents that may expose their undocumented status, or require Social Security numbers from students (Morse and Ludovina, 1999).
Morse, S.C., and F.S. Ludovina. Responding to Undocumented Children in the Schools. ERIC Digest. (Charleston, W.V.: ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools, 1999).
