NYCLU: 12 Long Island School Districts ‘Unlawfully Barring’ Immigrant Students [View all]

[UglyGreed]

dozen Long Island school districts may be “unlawfully barring the enrollment of immigrant students,” according to a statewide survey conducted by the New York Civil Liberties Union.

In all, approximately 20-percent of school districts in state have been identified by the group as putting up what it called illegal barriers to unaccompanied or undocumented students, possibly creating a chilling effect on such students and attempting to register. The advocacy group also chided the New York State Education Department for failing to enforce its own guidelines, but the agency fired back at the nonprofit advocacy group.

“The New York Civil Liberties Union has never identified a single student who has been denied enrollment based on immigration status,” New York State Education Department spokesman Dennis Tompkins said in a statement. “When the Department received a report regarding Hempstead, we acted swiftly to ensure the students were enrolled. If NYCLU is aware of a case, they should inform us immediately.”

http://www.longislandpress.com/2014/10/31/nyclu-12-long-island-school-districts-unlawfully-barring-immigrant-students/