Some Alabama educators fear the state’s new law cracking down on illegal immigration could jeopardize millions of dollars in federal funding for public schools, Fox News reports. At issue is one provision in the law requiring schools to report the number of undocumented students they enroll. The law, which takes effect Sept. 1, requires schools to collect and report to the state proof of a student’s age, as well as a new provision requiring proof of where a child was born…
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Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.
Immigration vote leaves Obama’s policy in disarray
The vote by the Senate on Saturday to block a bill to grant legal status to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrant students was a painful setback to an emerging movement of immigrants and also appeared to leave the immigration policy of the Obama administration, which has supported the bill and the movement, in disarray, reports the New York Times. The bill, known as the Dream Act, gained 55 votes in favor with 41 against, a tally short of the 60 votes needed to bring it to the floor for debate. Five Democrats broke ranks to vote against the bill, while only three Republicans voted for it. The defeat in the Senate came after the House of Representatives passed the bill last week. The result, although not unexpected, was still a rebuff to President Obama by newly empowered Republicans in Congress on an issue he has called one of his priorities. Supporters believed that the bill–tailored to benefit only immigrants who were brought here illegally when they were children and hoped to attend college or enlist in the military–was the easiest piece to pass out of a larger overhaul of immigration laws that Mr. Obama supports. His administration has pursued a two-sided policy, coupling tough enforcement–producing a record number of about 390,000 deportations this year–with an effort to pass the overhaul, which would open a path to legal status for an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants. Now, with less hope for any legalization measures once Republicans take over the House in January, the administration is left with just the stick. Part of the administration’s strategy has been to ramp up border and workplace enforcement to attract Republican votes for the overhaul. The vote on Saturday made it clear that strategy has not succeeded so far…
…Read MoreCalifornia court backs illegal immigrant students
In a unanimous decision, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday that illegal immigrants can be eligible for the same reduced tuition at public colleges and universities as legal residents of the state, reports the New York Times. The ruling is the latest in a series of high-profile battles about state immigration policies. In addition to Arizona’s strict new immigration law, which the United States Department of Justice has challenged in court, nine other states have laws similar to California’s, with lawsuits pending in Nebraska and Texas. Currently, students who attend at least three years of high school in California and graduate are eligible for in-state tuition at public schools, which can save them as much as $12,000 a year compared with students who come from other states. Illegal immigrants remain ineligible for state or federal financial aid…
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