Immigrants

Education news, analysis, and opinion about immigrants, immigrants’ children and immigration

Tracker

Which States Are Challenging Undocumented Students’ Right to Free Education?
States are reviving efforts to challenge the 1982 Plyler v. Doe ruling that guarantees undocumented students a free, public education.
Custom illustration of an open book with the left side showing the blue and stars of the American flag and the right side of the book showing the red stripes of the American flag with the silhouette of a sad young boy behind the stripes/bars. His head is looking down and he is wearing a school book bag.
Taylor Callery for Education Week
English Learners Data Political Divides Shape Educators’ Views on English Learners’ Rights
Educators are divided along political lines on rights for English learners and immigrant students, an EdWeek Research Center survey found.
1 min read
President Trump signing an executive order.
President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, in Washington.
Evan Vucci/AP
Federal Can Trump Do That? Which Actions on Education Are Legal, and Which Ones Aren't
A guide to President Trump's actions and whether or not they're legal or constitutional.
Mark Lieberman & Brooke Schultz, March 11, 2025
14 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion Let Us 'Talk Openly': What Students Want Right Now
Fearful, students explain that they want educators to help them understand what's going on.
Larry Ferlazzo, March 7, 2025
7 min read
Clayton Hubert is an art teacher who wears many hats as an educator, including driving the school bus each morning, as seen here on Jan. 16, 2025, in Lamberton, Minn.
Clayton Hubert, an art teacher, wears many hats as an educator, including driving the school bus some mornings, as seen here on Jan. 16, 2025, in Lamberton, Minn. Many teachers say the expectations of the role have grown far beyond classroom instruction.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Teaching Profession Teaching in 2025: ‘Every Day Is a Crazy Day. It’s Fine.’
The profession is changing, and it's more challenging than ever. Resilient teachers are adapting. But at what cost?
26 min read
Adult hands cupping a set of youth hands with compassion.
Fizkes/iStoc/Getty
Student Well-Being Opinion A Child Took Her Own Life After Being Bullied. Schools Must Take Notice
Making sure that children are safe in schools is not a political issue, it is a matter of humanity.
Marc Brackett, Diana Divecha & Robin Stern, March 3, 2025
5 min read
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt answers a question while taking part in a panel discussion during a Republican Governors Association conference, Nov. 16, 2022, in Orlando, Fla.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt answers a question while taking part in a panel discussion during a Republican Governors Association conference, Nov. 16, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. The governor recently opposed a rule from the state's superintendent of public instruction requiring proof of citizenship in school enrollment.
Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP
States Proof of Legal Status to Enroll in an Oklahoma School? It's Complicated
Public schools don’t track the number of undocumented students enrolled due to a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court decision.
Ileana Najarro, February 28, 2025
4 min read
Photograph of a group of Latin American students studying together around a table at the library.
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College & Workforce Readiness What to Know When Advising College-Bound, Undocumented Students
K-12 educators can make a difference in whether undocumented students pursue higher education.
Ileana Najarro, February 26, 2025
6 min read
Diverse group of college students talking while walking down the stairs at their university
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College & Workforce Readiness See the States That Offer Undocumented Students Financial Support for Higher Ed.
Close to half of states offer some kind of tuition support to college-bound undocumented students.
Ileana Najarro & Gina Tomko, February 26, 2025
2 min read
Image of flags of the world.
tzahiV/iStock/Getty
Federal Explainer How Many Students May Be Affected by Trump's Immigration Policies?
Schools don't track student's immigration status due to federal law that grants undocumented students the right to a free, public education.
Ileana Najarro, February 24, 2025
4 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Policy & Politics Opinion How Blind Partisanship Harms Schooling
No one political party enjoys a monopoly on truth, good intentions, or rightness
Rick Hess, February 4, 2025
9 min read
Naomi Tolentino Miranda leads a meeting on student attendance at J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas. Tolentino Miranda showed school administrators recent data reflecting positive progress in combating chronic absenteeism.
Naomi Tolentino leads a meeting on student attendance at J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas. Tolentino showed school administrators recent data reflecting positive progress in combating chronic absenteeism.
Erin Woodiel for Education Week
School Climate & Safety Leader To Learn From One Leader’s Plan to Cut Chronic Absenteeism—One Student at a Time
Naomi Tolentino helps educators in Kansas City, Kan., support strong school attendance.
Evie Blad, February 3, 2025
9 min read
Naomi Tolentino Miranda walks into J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas. Tolentino Miranda is the Coordinator for Student Support Programs and often visits school administrative teams to check on their progress combating chronic absenteeism among their students.
Naomi Tolentino walks into J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025, in Kansas City, Kan. Tolentino is the coordinator for student support programs and often visits school administrative teams to check on their progress in lowering chronic absenteeism among their students.
Erin Woodiel for Education Week
School Climate & Safety Q&A What a 'Positive, Proactive Approach' to Chronic Absenteeism Looks Like
A Kansas City, Kan., leader explains how her district shifted its approach to chronic absenteeism.
Evie Blad, February 3, 2025
6 min read
A line of school children with obscured faces board a school bus on their way to school.
E+/Getty
School & District Management School Leaders Rush to Manage Deportation Fears
School and district leaders describe a chaotic time amid changes to federal immigration policies.
Ileana Najarro & Olina Banerji, January 31, 2025
9 min read
State Superintendent Ryan Walters speaks to members of the State Board of Education during a meeting, Aug. 24, 2023, in Oklahoma City, Okla.
State Superintendent Ryan Walters speaks to members of the State Board of Education during a meeting, Aug. 24, 2023, in Oklahoma City, Okla. On Jan. 28, the state board unanimously approved a proposed rule to require schools to collect students' immigration status information.
Daniel Shular/Tulsa World via AP
States Oklahoma Takes Step to Require Parents to Provide Schools Proof of Citizenship
Leaders in at least three states have made efforts to collect data on undocumented students, or outright ban them.
Ileana Najarro, January 28, 2025
4 min read