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Illegal immigrants in our country are now facing a tough time. Pressure continues to mount against them across the country even as non-citizen students are being rooted out by schools that face severe budget constraints and a phenomenal growth in student populations.

This practice is restricted by the federal law. Evidently however, we can see schools struggling to cope with the difficulty of managing American education and immigration policy. Districts and individual schools are being charged with forcing students to prove their citizenship. There has also been effort by some state lawmakers to make this mandatory.

In response to this growing tension, a nationwide letter was sent to schools in an unprecedented move. This letter pointed out to schools their legal obligation to every single student. This letter was authored by both the Department of Justice and the Department of Education.

The letter cited a 30 year old Supreme Court case where it was found that regardless of their immigration status, all students are eligible legally for free public K-12 education. The letter went on to say that they have come across student enrollment practices that exclude and discourage students based on the immigration status of their parents or guardians. The letter said that these practices are not in keeping with the federal law.

The letter said that student can be denied by schools based on direct residency. Legal action can be taken by districts against parents who send their children to schools other than the area they reside in as is evident with cases that are recently publicized. Documents that can and cannot be asked for by schools were clearly delineated by the departments.

Copies of bills and lease agreements can be asked to be produced by parents by schools that want proof of residency. Age of the child can be verified by asking for the birth certificate. In order to identify students, schools can also ask for social security numbers on an optional basis.

However, if parents are unable to provide American birth certificates or social security numbers, this does not give the schools basis for discrimination. Ability to obtain education is also sometimes affected due to immigration issues for students who are US citizens. Sadly, students suffer by getting caught in the midst of deportation of their caretaker or parents.

When Marcos Perdomo was deported, his mixed status family in Texas faced a hugely challenging situation. He was the only non-citizen in this family with a wife and six children. Wife and children were torn between staying on in the US for better education and job opportunities and moving back to Mexico.

As our country is all set to deport 400,000 illegal immigrants, according to the Washington Post, the federal government will be driving many more families to despair, forcing them to take tough decisions regarding their children’s education.

In America, immigration is a social and political issue that is hotly debated upon. A web of controversial policies makes the issue of education for immigrant families tangled. This situation affects severely the fate of illegal students.