The Anniversaries of Plyler v. Doe and DACA Are an Urgent Reminder that Congress Must Deliver Permanent Protections for Immigrant Children

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Wednesday, June 15, 2022 

Media Contact: media@theyoungcenter.org 

Washington D.C.— Today marks the anniversary of two historic victories in the immigrant rights and children’s rights movements. Forty years ago, the United States Supreme Court issued a landmark decision that protected the right to free, K-12 public education for every child, regardless of their immigration status. The ruling, Plyler v. Doe, remains a testament to the fierce and powerful organizing by immigrant communities and advocates who understood that education is a human right. June 15 also marks ten years since the announcement of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program which provides hundreds of thousands of immigrant youth in the U.S. with two-year work permits, greater access to higher education, and short-term relief from deportation. 

Gladis Molina Alt, Executive Director of the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, said: 

“The anniversaries of Plyler v. Doe and DACA are a moment to celebrate the powerful and relentless organizing of immigrants and allies who, decades ago, forced the nation to reckon with the injustices against immigrant children and delivered these two landmark victories. Together, these monumental achievements made clear that every child, regardless of their immigration status, deserves to live a life free from harm and to have the opportunities to go to school, to learn, to grow, and to thrive.  

While we celebrate the legacies of both Plyler v. Doe and DACA, we also know that the rights, safety, and futures of immigrant children continue to be attacked across the country, in states like Texas —the same state where Plyler v. Doe started as a case forty years ago. Any effort to deprive children of their fundamental rights because of their immigration status or to further place their life, safety, and well-being at risk by limiting programs like DACA is an unacceptable attack on children.   

Education is necessary for children’s healthy development. It is a right, not a privilege. While DACA critically expanded educational access to immigrant children beyond K-12, the future of the program is not guaranteed. Congress must deliver permanent protections for immigrant children and their families: guaranteeing expanded access to post-secondary education and delivering a pathway to citizenship.”