n 1982, the United States Supreme Court stated in Plyler v. Doe that a state cannot deny a child access to a public education, regardless of the child's immigration status. Amid three complaints that schools were checking the immigration status of students, the U.S. Department of Education sent a letter reminding school districts of the implications of Plyler.
The letter reminds school districts of their duty to provide "all children with equal access to public education" and that "[school] districts may not request information with the purpose or result of denying access to public schools on the basis of race, color or national origin."