Immigrants

Education news, analysis, and opinion about immigrants, immigrants’ children and immigration
A know-your-rights flyer rests on a table while immigration activist, Laura Mendoza, speaks to the Associated Press' reporter at The Resurrection Project offices in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood on June 19, 2019. From Los Angeles to Atlanta, advocates and attorneys have brought civil rights workshops to schools, churches, storefronts and consulates, tailoring their efforts on what to do if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers show up at home or on the road.
A know-your-rights flyer rests on a table while immigration activist, Laura Mendoza, speaks to the Associated Press' reporter at The Resurrection Project offices in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood on June 19, 2019. Immigration advocates advise schools to inform families about their legal rights as uncertainty remains over how far-reaching immigration enforcement will go under a second Trump administration.
Amr Alfiky/AP
Federal Can Immigration Agents Make Arrests and Carry Out Raids at Schools?
Current federal policy says schools are protected areas from immigration enforcement. That may soon change.
Ileana Najarro, December 11, 2024
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9 min read
President-elect Donald Trump takes the stage before speaking at the FOX Nation Patriot Awards on Dec. 5, 2024, in Greenvale, N.Y.
President-elect Donald Trump takes the stage before speaking at the FOX Nation Patriot Awards on Dec. 5, 2024, in Greenvale, N.Y. With the frameworks now in place, Trump has laid priorities for education.
Heather Khalifa/AP
Federal 5 Trump Education Priorities for a Second Term
With key players appointed to their cabinet positions, the scaffolding for President-elect Donald Trump's second term is taking shape.
Brooke Schultz, December 6, 2024
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7 min read
A photograph of the back of a Hispanic family (mother, daughter, son, and father) walking together in a school parking lot. Both kids are wearing winter hats and carrying bookbags on their backs.
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Families & the Community Language Barriers Keep Parents From Attending School Activities, New Data Show
New data show how big the gap in parental involvement is between Spanish- and English-speaking parents.
Ileana Najarro, December 4, 2024
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3 min read
Students at Valencia Newcomer School wait to change classes Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019, in Phoenix. Children from around the world are learning the English skills and American classroom customs they need to succeed at so-called newcomer schools. Valencia Newcomer School in Phoenix is among a handful of such public schools in the United States dedicated exclusively to helping some of the thousands of children who arrive in the country annually.
Students at Valencia Newcomer School wait to change classes Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019, in Phoenix. Children from around the world are learning the English skills and American classroom customs they need to succeed at so-called newcomer schools. Under a 1982 Supreme Court precedent, public schools can't charge tuition to children who are new arrivals in the United States.
Ross D. Franklin/AP
Law & Courts Explainer Undocumented Students Have the Right to a Free Education. This Is Why
A landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling protected undocumented students' access to free public education. Some lawmakers seek to overturn it.
Ileana Najarro, November 15, 2024
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8 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
Federal Opinion With Trump in Office, Schools Should Ask Themselves These Questions
The incoming administration could change many laws and rules that would affect public education. Larry Ferlazzo explains how to respond.
Larry Ferlazzo, November 13, 2024
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5 min read
GettyImages 1402013281
iStock/Getty
English Learners No, the Arrival of English Learners Doesn't Hurt Other Students, a Study Finds
A new study reviewed any spillover effects of the growing immigrant student population in Delaware.
Ileana Najarro, October 18, 2024
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5 min read
Photo of Latino family talking with elementary school staff.
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English Learners Download Immigrant Students' Rights: A Guide for Schools' Front-Office Staff
A downloadable guide to help school staff familiarize themselves with immigrant students' rights and schools' responsibilities to them.
Ileana Najarro, October 2, 2024
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2 min read
Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, and Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz participate in a vice presidential debate hosted by CBS News Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in New York.
Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, and Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz participate in a vice presidential debate hosted by CBS News Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in New York.
Matt Rourke/AP
Federal What JD Vance and Tim Walz Said About School Safety in VP Debate
Education came up in the vice presidential debate, unlike the debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.
Libby Stanford, October 1, 2024
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3 min read
Group of diverse people (aerial view) in a circle holding hands. Cooperation and teamwork. Community of friends, students, or volunteers committed to social issues for peace and the environment.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
Equity & Diversity What Works to Help Students of Color Feel Like They Belong at School
New research focuses on how ethnic studies classes and local partnerships can help students of all races feel they belong in school.
Ileana Najarro, September 27, 2024
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5 min read
Eric Hoover teaches his class of immigrant and refugee students at McCaskey High School in Lancaster, Pa., on Feb. 15, 2017. The Lancaster community runs an "international school" on its main high school campus to help the waves of new arrivals sponsored by local resettlement agencies learn English and adjust to American schools.
Eric Hoover teaches his class of immigrant and refugee students at McCaskey High School in Lancaster, Pa., on Feb. 15, 2017. A few key practices rooted in empathy can move schools beyond merely complying with their legal obligations to English learners.
Michael Rubinkam/AP
English Learners What Schools Can Do to Help Immigrant Students Succeed
Researchers and educators recently shared advice on how to best work with immigrant students and English learners.
Ileana Najarro, September 23, 2024
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5 min read
Alexis Osborn, left, and Mireida Alvarado share a laugh while reading a book together during kindergarten class at Fairview Elementary in Carthage, Mo.
Students share a laugh while reading a book together during kindergarten class at Fairview Elementary in Carthage, Mo. As former President Donald Trump continues to share anti-immigrant rhetoric on the presidential campaign trail, educators say it it's even more crucial to create a welcoming environment for all students.
Roger Nomer/The Joplin Globe via AP
English Learners Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric Has Consequences. What Schools Can Do to Help
As falsehoods circulate about Haitian residents of Springfield, Ohio, schools can help immigrant students feel safe and welcome.
Ileana Najarro, September 20, 2024
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6 min read
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a presidential debate with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at the National Constitution Center, Tuesday, Sept.10, 2024, in Philadelphia.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a presidential debate with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at the National Constitution Center, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia. He shared anti-immigrant rhetoric targeting the Haitian immigrant community of Springfield, Ohio.
Alex Brandon/AP
English Learners Amid Political Attacks on Ohio Immigrants, How Schools Can Support Newcomers
Former President Trump's anti-immigrant rumors shed light on how an Ohio town's schools have helped newcomers.
Ileana Najarro, September 11, 2024
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5 min read
Parents and community members rally outside P.S. 189 to protest New York City Mayor Eric Adam's plan to temporarily house immigrants in the school's gymnasium, seen in the background on May 16, 2023, in New York.
Parents and community members rally outside P.S. 189 to protest New York City Mayor Eric Adam's plan to temporarily house immigrants in the school's gymnasium, seen in the background on May 16, 2023, in New York.
John Minchillo/AP
Federal A More Complete Picture of Immigration's Impact on U.S. Public Schools
House Republicans say a migrant influx has caused "chaos" in K-12 schools. The reality is more complicated.
Libby Stanford, June 6, 2024
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10 min read
Image of a pencil holder filled with a variety of colored pencils that match the background with international flags.
Laura Baker/Education Week via Canva
Federal Opinion Should Migrant Families Pay Tuition for Public School?
The answer must reflect an outlook that is pro-immigration, pro-compassion, and pro-law and order, writes Michael J. Petrilli.
Michael J. Petrilli, May 2, 2024
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4 min read
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