Secretary DeVos is Wrong About Reporting Undocumented Students
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Calls for Swift Correction from DOE
San Francisco, CA — May 25, 2018 — While testifying before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said that schools can decide whether to report undocumented students to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Asian Americans Advancing Justice, an affiliation of five Asian American civil rights organizations, releases the following statement:
“We condemn Secretary DeVos’ wildly inaccurate and irresponsible statement that schools may decide whether to allow principals and teachers to report their students to immigration enforcement authorities. Simply put, Secretary DeVos is wrong.
In Plyler v. Doe, the U.S. Supreme Court made clear that all children in this country, regardless of immigration status, have a right to an education. Reporting undocumented students and their families to ICE violates students’ constitutional right to attend school and learn.
Students deserve a quality education in classrooms free from fear. Secretary DeVos’ gross misrepresentation of the law threatens the safety of schoolchildren across America, and the department must act swiftly to ensure that the constitutional rights of immigrant families will not be violated. We call on Secretary DeVos to apologize publicly and to clarify that her department will fairly and accurately enforce the law.”
Media Contacts:
Christina So, Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus, 415-848-7728, christinaso@advancingjustice-alc.org
Michelle Boykins, Advancing Justice | AAJC, 202-296-2300 x0144, mboykins@advancingjustice-aajc.org
James Woo, Advancing Justice – Atlanta, 404-585-8446, jwoo@advancingjustice-atlanta.org
Brandon Lee, Advancing Justice – Chicago, 773-271-0899 x200, blee@advancingjustice-chicago.org
Jessica Jinn, Advancing Justice – Los Angeles, 213-241-8817, jjinn@advancingjustice-la.org
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Asian Americans Advancing Justice is a national affiliation of five leading organizations advocating for the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and other underserved communities to promote a fair and equitable society for all. The affiliation’s members are: Advancing Justice | AAJC (Washington, DC), Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus (San Francisco), Advancing Justice – Los Angeles, Advancing Justice – Atlanta, and Advancing Justice – Chicago.