Tuesday, January 28th 2025, 8:31 pm
State Board Approves New Citizenship Rule
The Oklahoma State Board of Education approved a new rule requiring parents to provide their citizenship status when enrolling their children in public schools. The decision follows both state and federal efforts, led by former President Donald Trump, to address illegal immigration, starting with criminal cases.
State Superintendent Ryan Walters said the rule is meant to increase state accountability regarding illegal immigration.
“We will make sure that President Trump and his administration have the information they need,” Walters said.
He emphasized that no student would be denied enrollment based on legal status, and the collected data would only be used for informational purposes. However, the information could be shared with the federal government if requested.
The rule faced criticism from some members of the public during the board meeting.
“It is sad that you, Mr. Walters, stand here pretending to care about the students while at the same time advocating for the blatant discrimination of Latino students like me,” said Thomas Suarez, a student who spoke in opposition.
The proposed rule would require citizenship documentation from both students and their parents or legal guardians.
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