The Obama administration is using US public schools to enrol thousands of undocumented immigrants, reminding educational institutions that it is within the bounds of federal laws.
The US Department of Education released a resource guide for supporting undocumented youth as it expressed "hopes that educators, schools, and campuses will, as they see fit, draw upon the tips and examples in this Guide to better support undocumented youth and, ultimately, move us closer to the promise of college and career readiness for all."
EAG News said the document lays down the laws that require schools to enrol undocumented immigrants regardless of their immigration status.
"Undocumented youth, in particular, can experience high levels of acculturative stress from immigration-related issues such as separation from family and academic difficulties. According to one study, the most significant stressor for undocumented immigrants by far was the fear of deportation, which impacted immigrants' daily lives and was, for some, a constant concern," according to the document.
The education department warned school districts that they "may not request information with the purpose or result of denying access to public schools on the basis of race, colour or national origin."
"A school district may not bar a student from enrolling in its schools because he or she lacks a birth certificate or has records that indicate a foreign place of birth, such as a foreign birth certificate," it adds.
The document provides resources and tips that may help youth and their families to find ways to finance college costs.
This is where Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) comes in by awarding temporary reprieve to certain undocumented immigrants.
"Besides providing high-quality instruction and supports, another important way that schools, colleges, and education professionals can help undocumented youth is by sharing information about DACA with youth and their families," the document says.
It adds: "Providing this information at the early childhood and elementary school levels may be helpful because, though the children would not meet DACA's threshold age guideline, their parents or family members might meet the guidelines."
The document tells secondary educators, counsellors and other personnel to "share information with undocumented youth and families about DACA consideration and renewal, and support students' requests for education records."
"When youth are requesting consideration for DACA, help to ensure that they seek information from official government sources such as USCIS or DHS," it says.
