DFER Responds to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ Statement That Schools Should Decide Whether to Report Undocumented Students

May 23, 2018

DFER Responds to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ Statement That Schools Should Decide Whether to Report Undocumented Students

New York – In response to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ statements yesterday to the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee that individual schools should decide whether to call U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement if they suspect their students are undocumented, Democrats For Education Reform (DFER) president Shavar Jeffries made the following statement:

“Schools should be safe havens for learning. Full stop. No child should fear their teachers or principal reporting them to immigration authorities. Shame on Secretary DeVos for even suggesting that schools make these calls and fanning the culture of fear that the Trump administration has created across our country, in and outside of our children’s schools. This goes against Department of Homeland Security practice to discourage immigration enforcement in ‘sensitive locations’ like schools and it violates the U.S. Constitution (Plyer v. Doe) as all students deserve to feel safe at school and to receive a high-quality public education, free of fear, regardless of their immigration status.  Someone should remind her that she runs the education department not ICE.”

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Contact: Victoria Fosdal, Victoria@dfer.org