New York Democrats -Attorney General Letitia James and State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa are threatening legal action against schools that attempt to block or increase the difficulty for illegal immigrants to register their children for public school.
On Monday, James and Rosa wrote in a letter to the public school districts, “Policies that make it difficult or impossible for migrant children and youth to enroll in school are contrary to state education regulations and may expose schools to legal liability.”
The pair claimed that some districts have required parents to provide voter registration cards, while others required proof of residency less than 30 days old or repeated proofs of residency for families without a formal lease.
The officials also called out school districts threatening home visits for students who cannot prove their residency with a formal lease. “These discriminatory policies harm our most vulnerable students, who rely on our schools for a safe, nurturing environment where they can learn and thrive.”
According to the letter, public schools must immediately enroll illegal immigrant children and homeless children even if those students cannot prove their residency or provide their immunization records, school records, or other documents that are typically required for enrollment because all children, including illegal immigrants, between the ages of 5 and 21, are entitled to public education in the Empire State.
Over 100,000 illegal immigrants have arrived in the Big Apple since last April, and nearly 19,000 children, the majority of which are illegal immigrants are in temporary housing and enrolled in the city’s public school system.
Due to the massive influx, New York’s homeless shelters are over capacity and the city has spent more than $1.2 billion on dealing with the illegal immigrants.
Democratic officials who previously boasted the “sanctuary city” status of New York including New York City Mayor Eric Adams have blamed Texas and federal officials, including the Biden administration for the crisis.