The Oklahoma Board of Education has approved a proposal to require parents to prove their citizenship when enrolling new students.
The proposal passed with a unanimous 6-0 vote after approximately 20 minutes of discussion.
“Our rule around illegal immigration accounting is simply that. It is to account for how many students of illegal immigrants are in our schools,” Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters said during the meeting.
According to the state’s administrative rules, the proposal still needs approval from the legislature and governor before it can go into effect.
If passed, the rule will also require school districts to report to the Oklahoma State Department of Education the number of students whose parents or legal guardians do not establish citizenship or legal immigration status.
The National Immigration Law Center has opposed the proposal, arguing that children should have access to taxpayer-funded education regardless of citizenship.
“All children have a constitutional right to equal access to education regardless of their citizenship or immigration status,” the organization said in a statement. “Requiring school districts to collect information about immigration status illegally chills access to this opportunity, interfering with their ability to focus on their core mission: to educate children and give all students the ability to grow, thrive, and participate fully in our democracy.”
Earlier this month, Superintendent Walters announced a $474 million lawsuit against Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deputy Director Peter Flores.
In a press release, Walters’ office said he seeks “compensation for the severe financial and operational strain that their failed border policies have placed on Oklahoma’s public schools.”
“Biden Administration leaders utterly abandoned their constitutional duty to secure our nation’s borders, leaving states like Oklahoma to pick up the pieces. Their negligence has been a sad and harmful trademark of the Biden administration and has sent shockwaves across our communities, overburdening schools with unfunded mandates and diverting resources from Oklahoma children.” Walters said.
“While President Biden has neglected his responsibility to protect our borders for four years, hardworking Oklahomans are forced to cover the costs of his dereliction of duty,” Walters continued. “This lawsuit is about accountability and ensuring that our children receive the quality education they deserve, free from the federal government’s failures, even from a failed, outgoing administration. I will always fight for Oklahoma students and Oklahoma taxpayers.”
The post Oklahoma Board of Education Unanimously Approves Proposal Requiring Parents to Prove Citizenship When Enrolling Their Kids appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.