Essay On Children Of Illegal Immigrants

RIGHT TO EDUCATION FOR UNDOCUMENTED CHILDREN

Are Children of Illegal Immigrants Entitled to a Public Education?

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RIGHT TO EDUCATION FOR UNEDUCATED CHILDREN 2

According to the Census Bureau, there are approximately 42.4 immigrants, both legal and

illegal, living in the US today. Immigration law in the US is complex and Immigration and

Naturalization Act (INA) is responsible for regulating immigration activities. The body provides

that the number of permanent migrants allowed each year is 675,000, but there are exceptions to

close family members. Despite a flexible system that allows a considerable number of

immigrants into the US each year, the number of illegal immigrants continues to grow, becoming

a source of political debate. The number of children of illegal immigrants is high affecting the

population of students in public schools. Education empowers us with knowledge of the world

around us and helps us develop new perspectives of looking into life issues. I believe every

children deserves to be educated but due to illegal migration, some people feel that children of

illegal immigrants are not entitled to public education. This essay seeks to discuss arguments

for and against education of children of illegal migrants.

All children have equal rights to education in public schools regardless of their parents’

actual or perceived national origin, citizenship or immigration status. In the case of Plyler vs.

Doe, the U.S Supreme Court ruled that every undocumented child and young adult has equal

rights as legal American citizens and permanent residents to attend school until they attain the

mandated age. In that ruling, the court stated that, public schools should not turn students based

on documented status, parents are not required not required to disclose their migration status, and

students are required to give the school their social security numbers, as this would disclose their

undocumented status (Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, 2015).

Additionally, it is unethical to deny children right to education because they would be

forced to be illiterate for the rest of their lives. Regardless of their parents’ status, they are a part

of our society; they are the future of the country, but they happen to be trapped in the shadow of

RIGHT TO EDUCATION FOR UNEDUCATED CHILDREN 3

a cynical immigration system. Children are innocent and should not be judged by mistakes of

their parents. The importance of education in our society cannot be emphasized- it enhances

economic security, increases ability to seek good health care services, and ability to participate in

civic life (Schneiderman, 2016). The Department of Justice links crime and violence among

juveniles to lack of education. To up this claims, National Center for Education Statistics found

out that 85% of juveniles who have a criminal record are illiterate and 70% of prisoners in the

U.S cannot read above the fourth grade. This statistics are worrying and failing to educate

undocumented children will increase their probability of becoming criminals in future, making

them a threat to our security.

Further, failing to educate children enforces negative stereotypes and creates a permanent

underclass of aliens within the United States. Denying children of illegal immigrants’ right to

education creates two generations of poor immigrants instead of one. The highest percentage of

illegal immigrants leave their countries due to political instability or poverty and they believe

that they will find greener pastures in the U.S. Some of them are not lucky enough to get jobs

due to their illegal immigration status. Denying their children education, dims their hope of

having a brighter future where they would not have to keep running away from authorities like

their parents did (Griffee, 2012). Moreover, this may result in a generation of criminals who have

to steal in order to feed their families.

The harm imposed on the society by denying children education outweighs the cost that

would be incurred by educating these children. The Center for Immigration Studies conduct a

study and found out that 57% of families headed by immigrants and with children below the age

of eighteen years have registered for at least one welfare program compared 39% of native

families with children (Plyler, 2017). . The government may reduce the education cost by

RIGHT TO EDUCATION FOR UNEDUCATED CHILDREN 4

blocking children of illegal immigrants out of public schools. But on the other hand, the

government will spend more money to support these individuals through the welfare programs. If

the government can empower these population with education, they can develop skills that will

help them secure well-paying jobs and they would not have to rely on the government for

financial. Also, they will contribute to the development of the American economy and reduce the

population living below the poverty level (Griffee, 2012).

Moreover, Children of illegal immigrants face many challenges such as post-traumatic

stress, facing a judge without an attorney, separation from family, and fear of being returned to

their home country. Education should not be one of those challenges. According to a recent

report by Migration Policy Institute, these children grow up in poverty and their families achieve

minimal socioeconomic progress mainly because their parents are not able to advance to high-

paying jobs due to their illegal status. Also, they are likely perform poorly in school and have

low self-esteem because they cannot speak proper English like the natives. Most immigrants in

America struggle to fit in due to their inability to speak proper English or being unable to speak

English at all (Patterson, 2013). Although they can fluently communicate to their family

members using the first language, it becomes difficult for them to seek services in public. As it

is, illegal immigrants’ children encounter many challenges and helping them access education

and alleviate those problems for themselves and their future generations.

Immigration has received intensive criticism, and immigrants from specific countries

have been barred from entering the US. Opponents of migration site security issues and dilution

of culture as some of the reasons why immigrants should not be allowed into the country

(Walter, 2016). ). It is argued that immigrants who have been raised in foreign cultures that do

not value liberty will corrupt Americans who value liberty. However, hundreds of thousands

RIGHT TO EDUCATION FOR UNEDUCATED CHILDREN 5

continue to cross the border and some children cross the border unaccompanied by their parents

or any guardian (Patterson, 2013)

Despite the numerous reasons as to why these children should be allowed to join public

schools, there is another school of thought which argue differently. For instance, it is argued that,

allowing those children to the school system puts a huge burden on local districts and states. The

government spends about $12,000 annually to educate each student in the public schools. The

influx of students who are in the country illegally escalates this cost. This is because more

teachers have to be hired to handle the increased population of students and since most of

immigrants are English non-speakers, the government has to employ additional bilingual

teachers and more resources have to be bought (International Human Rights Law Clinic, 2010).

The situation puts pressure on both the Federal and local governments which are already

struggling to provide quality education to the Native Americans and legal immigrants. Besides,

institutions may not have adequate resources to support the increased population and teachers

might give attention to each student to understand their needs.

Other people who are against educating children of illegal immigrants argue that, parents

of those children don’t pay taxes and that their tax money is being used for the wrong

purpose. Governments use taxpayers’ money to build infrastructure and offer services to the

public. If a person is not contributing to the well-being of the country, why should they enjoy the

services offered by the government? Some people feel betrayed by this situation and question the

actions of the government. Lastly, the undocumented children cause over-crowding in schools.

Students should study in conducive environments so that they can comprehend what they are

studying. In an over-crowded area, there tends to be a lot of noise making reading a little bit

difficult. Immigrants with a lower level of income and education are likely to increase the tax

RIGHT TO EDUCATION FOR UNEDUCATED CHILDREN 6

burden for the natives. Such immigrants have many children and they use K-12 education, which

composes the largest element of the budget (Walter, 2016). For migrants' kids who are not fluent

in English, the charges of education can be significantly high compared to that of natives’

children.

After evaluating the arguments for and against educating children of illegal immigrants, it

is evident that it is more beneficial, to both children and the society, to grant them right to

education. It is true allowing undocumented children to enroll in American schools would

increase the cost of education and create unconducive environment for learning but these

problems can be resolved by expanding public school facilities to accommodate these children.

Educating undocumented children will empower them to become better people and prevent them

from becoming criminal in future, which would be a threat to our security. Children are innocent

and they should be subjected to problems which could avoided. They are equal and ought to be

treated like any other American child. Luckily, the governments upholds laws that support

undocumented children.

RIGHT TO EDUCATION FOR UNEDUCATED CHILDREN 7

References

Griffee, S. (2012). Are Children of Illegal Immigrants Entitled to a Public Education?. The

Learning Network. Retrieved 19 November 2017, from

https://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/06/are-children-of-illegal-immigrants-

entitled-to-a-public-education/

International Human Rights Law Clinic. (2010). In the Child’s Best Interest?- the consequences

of losing a lawful immigrant parent to deportation. International Human Rights Law

Clinic. Retrieved from https://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/Human_Rights_report.pdf

Patterson, E. (2013). Book Review: Immigration and Integration in Urban Communities.

Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 35(2), 293-295.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0739986313487620e

Plyler, D. (2017). Public Education for Immigrant Students: Understanding. American

Immigration Council. Retrieved 19 November 2017, from

https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/plyler-v-doe-public-education-

immigrant-students

Schneiderman, E. (2016). Immigrant Children Have a Right to a Good Education. Education

Week. Retrieved 19 November 2017, from

https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2016/03/16/immigrant-children-have-a-right-to-

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Essay on Children of Illegal Immigrants

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