Journal of Education and Human Development

Borders without Walls
Joseph R. McKinney, J.D., Ed.D.

Abstract
Public school districts have a legal obligation to enroll unauthorized immigrants and the children of unauthorized immigrants as students. Children of unauthorized parents in the United States are likely to be U.S. citizens by birth. Public schools may not deny, chill, or discourage the enrollment of unauthorized children. This is Federal law. Yet across the nation, including Indiana, these children have been denied and/or discouraged to enroll in public schools. School districts that require social security numbers and valid driver’s licenses or state issued identification effectively build a wall around their school borders. I reviewed each of Indiana’s 292 school districts’ websites. Forty-nine percent of Indiana school districts requested unlawful information that would prevent or discourage undocumented immigrants from registering their children in school. Ultimately, school boards and school administrators are responsible for the content of the registration process.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jehd.v6n3a1