Dive Brief:
- A plan announced Thursday night by President Barack Obama will provide deportation amnesty to millions of undocumented immigrants whose children are U.S. citizens.
- The news will affect many of the nation's students according to Pew's Hispanic Trends Project, which released a report Tuesday showing that while unauthorized immigrants made up an estimated 3.5% of the United States population in 2012, "children with at least one unauthorized immigrant parent made up 6.9% of students enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade in 2012."
- The plan is meant to provide emotional stability and relief for individuals who can now focus on their families instead of constantly living in fear — something that should have a positive impact on the performance of students in those families.
Dive Insight:
Diane Guerrero, an actress on Orange is the New Black, penned an essay for the Los Angeles Times, where she detailed her experience as the daughter of immigrants from Colombia who were deported when she was a teenager. In it, she detailed the issues children who grow up separated from their families often face, which can often include ending up in the school-to-prison pipeline.
The issue of stability for the children of immigrants spans beyond just home life, as stigmas can, in some cases, create instability in schools as well. In October, the New York Times reported that children of undocumented immigrants on Long Island were being denied access to school because their families couldn't provide the required documents proving their citizenship or guardianship. The denial of access to education was in direct violation of federal law, since it's the responsibility of public schools to educate all children, regardless of citizenship standing.