Time in Houston:
Ala. schools warned over treatment of undocumented pupils
November 2, 2011
Alabama schools have been warned by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to make sure that they are abiding by the federal law that states that every child is entitled to equal access to schools, regardless of their immigration status. A letter was issued to all school districts in the state by the DOJ's Civil Rights Division, in the wake of the introduction of the state's stringent new anti-immigration law. The law requires schools to determine the immigration status of all children they enroll.
This has led to fears that the information could be used to target illegal immigrant families and saw many undocumented students kept away from school by their families when it was first introduced last month.
The letter quoted the existing federal law that says denying innocent children the benefit of schooling because of their immigration status is unconstitutional.
Spokesman for the Alabama Department of Education, Michael Sibley, acknowledged that the department had received a copy of the letter, but said they were not going to comment on how it will work with the new law, until they sought advice from their own legal authorities.
"Our interim head of education has said he doesn't want to comment on it pending guidance from the state attorney general," Sibley told CNN.
Alabama schools have been warned by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to make sure that they are abiding by the federal law that states that every child is entitled to equal access to schools, regardless of their immigration status. A letter was issued to all school districts in the state by the DOJ's Civil Rights Division, in the wake of the introduction of the state's stringent new anti-immigration law. The law requires schools to determine the immigration status of all children they enroll.
This has led to fears that the information could be used to target illegal immigrant families and saw many undocumented students kept away from school by their families when it was first introduced last month.
The letter quoted the existing federal law that says denying innocent children the benefit of schooling because of their immigration status is unconstitutional.
Spokesman for the Alabama Department of Education, Michael Sibley, acknowledged that the department had received a copy of the letter, but said they were not going to comment on how it will work with the new law, until they sought advice from their own legal authorities.
"Our interim head of education has said he doesn't want to comment on it pending guidance from the state attorney general," Sibley told CNN.
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