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educated communities have stronger economies, higher civic participation, and better public health outcomes. this is not ideology. this is just what the data shows.
plyler v. doe has protected children’s right to public education, including mine, for over 40 years. that protection is under threat right now.
this video is about what’s at stake, and why it matters to everyone regardless of politics.
Follow the National Immigration Law Center, @nilc for updates and resources.
#NILCPartner
Transcript
Tier are people in this country who are actively trying to make it harder for some children to attend public school. And as someone whose life was shaped by access to education, I have thoughts. I am a DACA recipient, but long before DACA, I was protected by something even more foundational. The right to attend K through 12 public school. A right affirmed by the 1982 Supreme Court decision called Plyler v. Doe. Children don't choose where they're born, where their parents are from, or what legal category the government places on their family, and Plyler recognized that. It said, you cannot deny a child access to school because of their immigration status. And thank Good for that because school gave me structure, confidence, community, and possibility. That is what education does. It doesn't just teach children how to read, write, and rank. It helps children imagine themselves as participants in society. Which is exactly why what's happening right now should alarm all of us. As I'm making this video, there are coordinated efforts to lay the groundwork to challenge pliers protections that have existed for more than forty years. And here's the part I really need people to worst. Excluding kids from school is not smart policy. It's not fiscally responsible, and it's certainly not pro child. The Supreme Court understood that in Plyler. It warned against creating a permanently excluded group of children denied the tools they need to participate and contribute. And that concern has not expired. Barriers to education create long term social and economic harm and then hand the bill to the rest of society later. The point of public education is not to benefit one child in isolation, though of course it does that. But the point is to build a healthier, more stable, more functional society. Denying children access to education does not protect the public good. It undermines it. So whatever your broader politics are, this should be simple. Children belong in school. A child in a classroom is not a threat. A child being denied an education is a moral failure of the adults in power. If you are a teacher, a school administrator, a parent, a student, your voice matters here. Speak out. And make sure to follow the National Immigration Law Center at NILC on social media.
