Immigrant Student Identification: Considering the Chilling Effect of Soliciting Immigrant Status During Student Enrollment

• In Event: Social Science Analyses of Emerging Legal Dilemmas

Abstract

The current sociopolitical context surrounding immigration, recent reversal of U.S. Supreme Court decisions, and the Texas governor’s recent remarks suggesting a challenge to Plyler v. Doe, the Supreme Court case that mandated access to public schooling for undocumented students, raise concerns about undocumented students’ access to education. With these concerns in mind, we explore how states and districts identify immigrant students for federal funding purposes. Specifically, we use a theoretical framework based on the legal notion of the “chilling effect” to examine how states and districts across the U.S. use initial school enrollment processes to identify immigrant students. Using qualitative document analysis and interviews with local and state educational leaders, we explore implications of different school enrollment practices.

Authors

• Emma Taylor, Michigan State University
  Presenting Author

• Madeline Mavrogordato, Michigan State University
  Presenting Author