A New Resource for Addressing Some Concerns of Immigrant Students

As teachers and school professionals, we know you are a trusted guide for your students, and in particular, some of your more recently immigrated students may share questions and concerns with you that you may feel like you need more information to address. These concerns may require extra support perhaps requiring students to seek mental health counseling and legal assistance.

The U.S. Department of Education recently published a resource guide for educators to support undocumented youth with a focus on secondary student access to higher education. It is estimated that about 65,000 un­doc­u­mented stu­dents gradu­ate high school each year, but only about 54 per­cent of all un­doc­u­mented young people have a high school dip­loma, com­pared to 82 per­cent of those born in the U.S. Included in this guide are: tips for school personnel to welcome immigrant students and their families into the classroom; information on de­ferred ac­tion for child­hood ar­rivals (DACA); (which of­fers some young people a tem­por­ary re­prieve from de­port­a­tion and opens ac­cess to some jobs and schol­ar­ships); successful school models that address specific immigrant student needs; and information on scholarships available for undocumented students.

One thing to remember is that all students, regardless of immigration status, are guaranteed by law a right to a free public education under the 1982 U.S. Supreme Court decision Plyer v. Doe. The U.S. Department of Education issued a fact sheet for schools on educational services for immigrant students and those recently arrived in the U.S., and together with the Department of Justice, published a joint guidance letter , fact sheet and Questions and Answers reminding school districts of their federal obligation to educate all students residing in their respective district and how to enroll them.  A student’s immigration status isn’t something that teachers can or should inquire about and school staff are prohibited by federal law from taking action that may intimidate or “chill” immigrant students from attending school. 

We will continue to support your work to teach about immigration critically and thoughtfully with all students with our free lesson plans and resources and to support your immigrant students.

Please help us to disseminate this vital information by forwarding this email and tell your colleagues about us.

Additional Resources:

•   Navigating College Applications for Undocumented Students - a brief guide on our blog to assist school professionals in supporting undocumented students when applying to college with links to trusted resources.  

•  Public Education for All? Lessons From Plyer v. Doe – a high school lesson plan where students explore personal beliefs about immigration and education, and then do a close reading of an article about the landmark Plyer v. Doe Supreme Court decision. 

Stay Connected!

The American Immigration Council offers free lesson plans, resources, book/film reviews, and grants to teach immigration. We also welcome teacher and student book reviews and contributions to our blog. Email us at teacher@immcouncil.org and follow us on twitter @ThnkImmigration #teachimmigration.

What Are Your State’s Policies Towards Immigrant Access to Higher Education?

It’s October and many high school seniors across the country are busy preparing to apply for college, which means that teachers, guidance counselors, parents and others are also busy — helping students fill out FAFSAs, select schools, revise essays, and write recommendation letters among other tasks.  Each year, an estimated 65,000 of these soon-to-be graduated youth are unauthorized immigrant students who were brought to the U.S. as children, and who face distinct challenges from their peers when accessing college. 

While guaranteed a right to public K-12 education under the 1982 Supreme Court ruling in Plyer v. Doe, there is no corresponding federal edict for how unauthorized youth are to be treated in a post secondary setting. As a result, many states have responded in diverse ways with some states allowing for tuition equity and financial aid and others barring unauthorized students from enrollment, and still others with no explicit policy governing access towards higher education for unauthorized youth. 

You can find out what your state policies are towards immigrant access to higher education on this map from the National Immigration Law Center (NILC). Specific state information and context can also be found on this interactive map from America’s Quarterly.

A recent commentary on state legislation from the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) notes that “since 2001, 17 states have enacted measures that would allow qualified unauthorized immigrant youth, often referred to as DREAMers, to pay resident tuition rates at their postsecondary institutions.”  Click to read the full commentary and to view a chart of the post secondary policies for the top 15 states of residence for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) youth.

Immigrants have and will continue to contribute to American public education. As our demography continues to shift, the contributions immigrants make in our communities and classrooms will help bring to light that education opens opportunities for career and civic engagement as proven by our immigrant past.  Simply put, we have much to lose in our immigrant future by not investing in the aspirations of all our students.

Additional Resources:

• Read our previous blog post, “Navigating College Application for Unauthorized Students” addressing frequently asked questions that may arise when assisting youth.  In particular, we highlighted Educators for Fair Consideration (E4FC)’s Educator’s Guide as another good source of information on broaching potentially sensitive topics with students.

• The DACA program created in 2012 provides temporary relief from deportation and work permits for up to two years if unauthorized youth meet age and other requirements. For information on DACA, please read the American Immigration Council’s DACA Resource Page.

The American Immigration Council offers free lesson plans, resources, book/film reviews, and grants to teach immigration. We also welcome teacher and student book reviews and contributions to our blog. Email us at teacher@immcouncil.org and follow us on twitter @ThnkImmigration. 

Addressing Concerns for Some Immigrant Students

As teachers and school professionals, we know this time of year for you is busy and exciting. From setting up your classrooms, to greeting students and their families, to finalizing lesson plans and working with colleagues, it can be overwhelming. We encourage you to read our “Welcoming Immigrant Students in the Classroom” article published on Edutopia which offers some streamlined tips and best practices for creating an inclusive, positive environment for these students.

We also know that you are a trusted guide for students, and in particular, some of your more recently immigrated students may share questions and concerns with you that you may feel like you need more information to address. These concerns may require extra support perhaps requiring students to seek mental health counseling and legal assistance.

One thing to remember is that all students, regardless of immigration status, are guaranteed by law a right to a free public education under the 1982 U.S. Supreme Court decision Plyer v. Doe. The U.S. Department of Education issued a fact sheet for schools on educational services for immigrant students and those recently arrived in the U.S., and together with the Department of Justice, published a joint guidance letter , fact sheet and Questions and Answers reminding school districts of their federal obligation to educate all students residing in their respective district and how to enroll them.  A student’s immigration status isn’t something that teachers can or should inquire about and school staff are prohibited by federal law from taking action that may intimidate or “chill” immigrant students from attending school. 

With regard to individual legal issues of immigration that a student may choose to share with you, you can refer them to two helpful websites: www.ailalawyer.com and www.immigrationlawhelp.org to find a reputable attorney who can address their concerns. If you know a student is seeking asylum, you can also give them the number to the National Asylum Help Line at 612-746-4674 from 9AM-4PM Monday through Friday. This hotline helps asylum seekers find free legal services and immigration attorneys near them.

If you would like more information on this topic, please send us an email with the subject line “Educator Understandings” at teacher@immcouncil.org and we will send it to you directly.

We wish you the best as you start your school year – and please do take advantage of our free lesson plans and resources to teach about immigration critically and thoughtfully with all students!

Also, check out our latest lesson plan “Analyzing Immigrant Contributions through Data, Story, and Voice” for high school students and participate in our #diverselit tweet chat on building a diverse library tonight at 7:30pm EST. Please use the hashtag #diverselit. We at @ThnkImmigration would love to hear from you!

Twenty New York School Districts Mandated to Change Their Enrollment Policies for Immigrants

Twenty New York school districts, found to be denying access to education to undocumented immigrant children, are now obligated by the state attorney general’s office to correct their enrollment process. Despite repeated reminders and instructions from federal and state agencies on how to properly enroll students, these districts continued to disregard their legal responsibilities by asking for documents such as social security cards or proof of district residency from immigrant families, effectively barring undocumented youth from attending school.

The New York Department of Education began an investigation after The New York Times reported in October, 2014 that undocumented immigrant children on Long Island were being asked about their immigration status and were denied access to schools. Originally the investigation focused on four districts, but the practice was found to be widespread, extending to 20 districts outside of large cities. Many of these communities have received an influx of unaccompanied minors fleeing violence and persecution from Central America and Mexico and seeking refuge in the U.S.

The districts are mandated to change their enrollment policies as well as to provide training for enrollment officials in order to comply with the 1982 Supreme Court decision, Plyler v. Doe, which found that schools cannot deny access to public education on the basis of a student’s immigration status.

Previously the NY Civil Liberties Union noted that putting up illegal barriers to undocumented students is “possibly creating a chilling effect on such students and attempting to register.” It is one thing to be in compliance with the law, but it will require additional steps to welcome immigrant students into the classroom.

Recommended Reading:

The New York Times: New York Compels 20 School Districts to Lower Barriers to Immigrants

Education Dive: 20 New York Districts Ordered to Change Enrollment Policies

American Immigration Council: Public Education for All?  Lessons Learned from Plyer v. Doe (lesson plan for grades 9-12 teachers) and Plyer v Doe: Students’ Right to Education

Welcoming Immigrant Students Into the Classroom

There are roughly 1.7 million undocumented students under age 30, who are enrolled in high school, have graduated or obtained a GED, or are currently enrolled in elementary or middle school according to the Pew Hispanic Research Center.  Additionally this past summer, our nation witnessed a spike in unaccompanied minors crossing our southern border with more than 50,000 children fleeing persecution from Central America and Mexico.  Most of them are awaiting immigration court dates and are staying with relatives or sponsors, but in the meantime, our laws require that they attend school.  In 1982, the Supreme Court determined in Plyer v. Doe that all students, regardless of their immigration status, are entitled to access K-12 education. 

As the number of immigrant students increases, and sometimes in areas not historically associated with large immigrant populations, teachers and administrators are often seeking assistance with not only how to enroll these students, but also how best to meet their needs in the classroom.  We’ve compiled a few best practices to create a welcoming classroom for immigrant students as well as some helpful Do’s and Don’ts for building relationships with them and their families.

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

Do send a message that all students, regardless of immigration status, have a right to attend your school and are welcomed.

Don’t use a lack of documentation (birth certificate, immigration status, social security number, etc.) to prevent an undocumented student from enrolling at a public school.  A May 2014 letter issued jointly by the US Department of Justice and the US Department of Education offers guidance for the ways schools can enroll students even if they lack certain documents.

Do ask for support from mental health professionals and community groups.

Some recently immigrated students have experienced trauma from violence witnessed in their home country.  Asking for a school counselor to check-in with all immigrant students is good idea to not only help students adjust to a different culture, but also to process any trauma, if encountered.  Some students may need the support of how to deal with difficult situations in non-violent ways if this is a practice they’ve acquired.

Do reach out to parents, guardians, and/or sponsors.

As teachers we hear this often, but calling home and saying a few positive words about a student can go a long way in establishing a good relationship with the student and his or her family.  If a language barrier is an issue, try asking a friend, teacher, or student to translate a letter or email home in the native language.  Even if it’s not entirely correct, the effort will be appreciated.

Don’t think that if you don’t hear back from anyone, it means they don’t care.

A parent, guardian, or sponsor may work long hours or they may be afraid to talk with you because of a language barrier, their own immigration status, etc. 

Do tell students about administrative relief.

Deferred action is a temporary relief from deportation.  The DACA (Deferred Action for Early Childhood Arrivals) program has been expanded and a new DAPA (Deferred Action for Parents Accountability) program has been created for parents who have a son or daughter who is a US citizen or lawful permanent resident.  While neither program is a path to citizenship, it allows families to remain together in the US temporarily and receive employment authorization.  Point students and their families to the Administrative Relief Resource Center to see if they qualify, learn steps to apply, contact an immigration lawyer, etc.

Do hold undocumented students to high expectations.

In some cases, you may have to scaffold materials depending on a student’s language proficiency, but the level of challenge should be equitable.  College is quite possible for them as more and more states have enacted their version of the DREAM act making higher education accessible for thousands of undocumented students.

Do check-in with your recently immigrated students.

Ask them how they feel about their school work, what they miss about their home country, what they like and don’t like about America, and what questions they have. Give them daily or weekly opportunities to write and/or talk about their immigration experience with you and fellow students.

HOW TO WELCOME IMMIGRANT STUDENTS INTO THE CLASSROOM

•  Decorate your classroom or school walls with photos of diverse role models including those of immigrants.  See our interactive lesson plans on Famous Immigrant Contributions, the Immigrant Experience “Jeopardy-Like” Game, and an Immigrant Timeline Scavenger Hunt for fun, engaging ways to learn about immigration.

 

•  Create mixed-student small groups.  Students may feel more comfortable sharing and building new friendships in smaller groups or partners as appropriate to your lesson.

 

• Identify shared values and differences in the classroom.  Plan for opportunities where students can voice their personal values and beliefs to create a sense of belonging.

 

• Make room for storytelling.  Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to create empathy.  Integrate immigration stories whether through literature you read as a class or by creating a family history and/or digital storytelling project where students can see we are a nation of immigrants.

 

• Create opportunities for positive civic engagement and discussion.  Teach about Plyer v. Doe if you have middle and high school students and teach students about their role as a citizen. Provide examples of civically engaged youth today with our lesson plans.

This is certainly not an exhaustive list of ideas to integrate immigrant students into the school community.  Please share: What are other ways to welcome immigrant students into the classroom and school?  (The first three people to respond with great ideas will receive a book prize!)

*This blog post is also posted on edutopia.org at Please also check our website at the American Immigration Council, communityeducationcenter.org for more resources and lesson plans.