Oklahoma Proposal Would Require Proof of Citizenship for Public School Enrollment

Oklahoma’s education board is considering a proposal requiring parents to provide proof of U.S. citizenship or legal immigration status for children enrolling in public schools. Proposed by Republican State Superintendent Ryan Walters, the measure supports former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and would require schools to track undocumented students, though it wouldn’t bar them from attending.

This proposal has drawn criticism from teachers, civil liberties groups, and Democratic lawmakers like Rep. Arturo Alonso-Sandoval, who warned of rising fear in immigrant communities. Oklahoma City Public Schools Superintendent Jamie Polk reassured families that federal law, upheld by the 1982 Supreme Court decision Plyler v. Doe, guarantees education regardless of immigration status.

Walters, who advocates for Trump’s immigration enforcement policies, claims schools are overwhelmed by illegal immigration and has pushed conservative agendas like Bible instruction and book bans in schools. Critics argue this proposal mirrors Alabama’s failed 2011 immigration law.