Immigrants

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

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Image of a boy with a blue backpack standing in front of the entrance to school.
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.
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Illustration of luggage, airline tickets and visa document.
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Recruitment & Retention Opinion What Trump's $100,000 Visa Fee Could Mean for Schools
An expert on teacher migration explains the possible consequences for international teachers.
Lora Bartlett, January 22, 2026
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5 min read
A Somali flag, right, flies alongside the United States and Vermont flags outside the Winooski School District building, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in Winooski, Vt.
A Somali flag, right, flies alongside the United States and Vermont flags outside the Winooski School District building, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in Winooski, Vt. The district's effort to show support for Somali students drew intense backlash.
Amanda Swinhart/AP
School & District Management Q&A Why This Leader Is Willing to Risk Losing His Job to Support Immigrant Students
This small Vermont district defies backlash to support immigrant families.
Ileana Najarro, January 14, 2026
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6 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
Equity & Diversity Opinion Minnesota Students Are Living in Perilous Times, Two Teachers Explain
The federal government is committing the "greatest constancy of deliberate community harm."
Larry Ferlazzo, January 14, 2026
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6 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
Equity & Diversity Opinion 'Survival Mode': A Minnesota Teacher of the Year Decries Immigration Crackdowns
Federal agents are creating trauma and chaos for our students and schools in Minneapolis.
Larry Ferlazzo, January 13, 2026
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5 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
Equity & Diversity Opinion 'Fear Is a Thief of Focus.' A Teacher on the Impact of ICE and Renee Nicole Good's Death
At a time that feels like a state of emergency, educators are doing their best to protect students.
Larry Ferlazzo, January 12, 2026
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4 min read
Protesters demonstrate against ICE agents near the the Whipple Federal Building on Jan. 8, 2026.
Protestors gather after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis, on Jan. 7, 2026. The incident later prompted the Minneapolis school district to cancel classes amid broader federal immigration operations.
Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune via TNS
School & District Management Minneapolis Schools Close in Wake of Deadly Shooting, Immigration Enforcement
The districtwide closure marks a departure from schools' responses to ICE presence.
Ileana Najarro, January 8, 2026
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6 min read
Demonstrators hold up signs protesting an immigration bill as it is discussed in the Senate chamber at the state Capitol Thursday in Nashville, Tenn. The bill would allow public school systems in Tennessee to require K-12 students without legal status in the country to pay tuition or face denial of enrollment, which is a challenge to the federal law requiring all children be provided a free public education regardless of legal immigration status.
Demonstrators hold up signs protesting an immigration bill as it was discussed in the Senate chamber at the state Capitol in Nashville, Tenn., on April 10, 2025. The bill, which legislators paused, would have allowed schools in the state to require undocumented students to pay tuition. It was one of six efforts taken by states in 2025 to limit undocumented students' access to free, public education.
John Amis/AP
States Undocumented Students Still Have a Right to Education. Will That Change in 2026?
State-level challenges to a landmark 1982 Supreme Court ruling are on the rise.
Ileana Najarro, December 29, 2025
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5 min read
English Learners Reports Instructing English Learners, In 10 Charts
This report summarizes survey findings related to English learners, including topics ranging from professional development to legal rulings.
December 22, 2025
Children disembark from a school bus in a largely Hispanic neighborhood that has been the subject of patrols and detentions by Border Patrol agents, during a federal immigration crackdown in Kenner, La., on Dec. 10, 2025.
Children disembark from a school bus in a largely Hispanic neighborhood that has been the subject of patrols and detentions by Border Patrol agents, during a federal immigration crackdown in Kenner, La., on Dec. 10, 2025. This year, the EdWeek Research Center included questions related to immigration in national surveys.
Gerald Herbert/AP
School & District Management From Our Research Center What Surveys Revealed This Year About Educators and Immigration
Immigration enforcement fueled fear, debate, and new pressures in schools.
Ileana Najarro, December 17, 2025
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4 min read
Collage of a podcast playing on a phone and a studio session screened behind that image.
Collage: Getty and an image courtesy of Amanda Salgado
English Learners How a Podcast Gives Newcomer Students a Platform, and a Path to Belonging
Six immigrant teenagers share their experiences of adjusting to life in a U.S. high school.
Olina Banerji, December 11, 2025
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6 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
Equity & Diversity Opinion 'Classrooms Sat Half-Empty': How ICE Activity Turned These Communities Upside Down
Nothing is normal about teaching or learning in fear-plagued communities.
Larry Ferlazzo, December 10, 2025
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8 min read
Jennifer Hosler, center, a pastor and parent of a child who attends Mundo Verde Public Charter School, leads parents and staff in a chant of solidarity as they keep watch for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in front of the school, amid fears of impending arrests at schools on May 6, 2025.
Jennifer Hosler, center, a pastor and parent of a child who attends Mundo Verde Public Charter School, leads parents and staff in a chant of solidarity as they keep watch for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in front of the school, amid fears of impending arrests at schools on May 6, 2025. An EdWeek Research Center survey asked whether schools or districts have protocols in place regarding immigration enforcement.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
School & District Management From Our Research Center Why Districts Set Up Immigration-Related Protocols
Not all districts establish or communicate immigration-related protocols, survey found.
Ileana Najarro, December 9, 2025
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6 min read
Policy & Politics Reports Partisan Polarization & K-12 Education: Results of a National Survey
This report takes stock of the dimensions and impacts of polarization in education based on a survey of teachers and K-12 administrators.
December 8, 2025
President Donald Trump signs an executive order on birthright citizenship in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington.
President Donald Trump signs an executive order to on birthright citizenship in the Oval Office on Jan. 20, 2025. The U.S. Supreme Court will consider the legality of Trump's effort to limit birthright citizenship, another immigration policy that could affect schools.
Evan Vucci/AP
Law & Courts Supreme Court to Weigh Birthright Citizenship. Why It Matters to Schools
The justices will review President Trump's bid to end birthright citizenship, a move that could affect schools.
Mark Walsh, December 5, 2025
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4 min read
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