Since the mid-2000s, states and localities frustrated with the federal government’s inaction on immigration have passed a range of laws, many of which target unauthorized immigrants. Such laws have ignited numerous legal battles, most famously in Arizona.
But when it comes to education, states and localities cannot override the right of every child, no matter his or her immigration status, to attend a US public school from kindergarten through 12th grade. In 1982, the US Supreme Court upheld this right in the landmark case Plyler v. Doe.
The original Plyler case has proven quite resilient, fending off litigation and federal and state legislative efforts to overturn it, and nurturing efforts to extend its reach to college students. No matter the political view one takes, Plyler has helped ensure the integration of children born outside the United States at a time when the country’s immigrant population has increased from about 20 million in 1990 to nearly 38 million in 2008.
