Panel Discussion: Plyler v. Doe at 30 Years: Keeping Public Schools Open to All of America's Children
June 11, 2012
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Where: 915 15th St. NW, Washington D.C. 20005, 8th Floor Conference Center When: Mon., June 11, 2012 at 1:30 p.m. Speakers: Tom Perez Russlynn Ali Laura W. Murphy Thomas A. Saenz Dr. William Lawrence Victor Palafox |
Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez and the Department of Education's Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Russlynn Ali will join with the ACLU and other civil rights and education leaders to reflect on the legacy of the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision, Plyler v. Doe, on June 11 at 1:30 p.m. at the ACLU Peter B. Lewis Conference Center, 8th Floor, 915 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C.
This June, it will be 30 years since the Supreme Court ruled that all children should have equal access to public education, regardless of citizenship or immigration status. This year's anniversary is particularly monumental in light of Alabama's passage of HB 56, a “show-me-your-papers” law that included a section requiring school districts to collect information on immigration status from public school students at the time of enrollment. HB 56, which was only in effect a few weeks before the public school section was enjoined by an appeals court, has led to increased Hispanic student absentee rates and 13.4 percent of Hispanic children withdrawing from Alabama public schools.
On May 1, Perez sent a letter to Alabama's education department detailing the damage done by Alabama's HB 56, which is a copycat of Arizona's racial profiling law, SB 1070, now before the U.S. Supreme Court in Arizona v. United States.
Learn More:
Hear stories of students impacted by anti-immigrant laws that deter Latino children from going to school.
 > YouTube: Estamos Unidos: Brandon (from MiACLU) |
 > YouTube: Estamos Unidos: Jocelyn (from MiACLU) |
 > Singled Out: Alabama's H.B. 56 in the Schools
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