Oklahoma Students May Need Proof of Citizenship

State education board approves the policy, which now goes to the legislature
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jan 28, 2025 4:23 PM CST
Oklahoma May Require Proof of Citizenship for Students
Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters i a file photo.   (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

Parents enrolling children in Oklahoma public schools would be required to provide proof of their child's US citizenship or legal immigration status under a proposal approved Tuesday by the State Board of Education. The board voted unanimously to approve the rule aimed at helping President Trump's immigration policies, per the AP. It still needs to be approved by the legislature and the governor.

The proposed rule would not prevent students without legal status from enrolling or keep them from attending school but would require districts to keep a tally. "Our rule around illegal immigration accounting is simply that," said the state's education chief, Ryan Walters. "It is to account for how many students of illegal immigrants are in our schools." While the board met, hundreds of students and protesters gathered outside the administration building to demonstrate against the rule.

The plan has been sharply criticized by teachers and civil liberty groups, and is causing fear within Oklahoma's immigrant communities, said Rep. Arturo Alonso-Sandoval, a Democrat who represents Oklahoma City's heavily Hispanic south side. "The community is scared, obviously," Alonso-Sandoval said. "The conversations I've had with parents, all they're doing is trying to provide the best opportunity for their kids, like any parents. They are starting to question: Do I unenroll my child from school?"

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A US Supreme Court ruling in 1982 affirmed the right of children living in the country illegally to attend public schools, although some lawmakers have questioned whether immigrants without legal residency should have the right to a public education. Walters has said he will support efforts by Trump to enforce immigration laws, including by allowing US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents into Oklahoma schools. "Schools are crippled by the flood of illegal immigrants and the Biden/Harris open border policy," Walters said in a statement.

(More Oklahoma stories.)