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Severe immigration policies and proposals are affecting public education, reports Mackenzie Wilkes of Politico.
Absences up where enforcement has increased, and some Republican-led states have ended in-state college tuition for undocumented students — but that’s not all. Some conservatives are pushing for state legislation that would challenge a 1982 Supreme Court ruling granting free public K-12 education to all, regardless of immigration status.
Over their lifetimes, undocumented students who benefit from this education access contribute $633 billion more in state and local taxes than their educations cost, per a FWD.us analysis that found other benefits as well.
The administration also now plans to dissolve the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) and move its work to other offices, Ileana Najarro of Education Week reports.
The office has overseen grants that help schools meet the needs of English language learners. Schools remain responsible for educating such learners.
The OELA "brought together expertise, research, and support focused specifically on language development," said Jose Viana, who led the office during President Donald Trump’s first term.
"Actions speak louder than words, and judging from the administration’s actions, it’s really not interested in encouraging the learning and adoption of English at all," Jim Geraghty of National Review writes in a Washington Post op-ed.
Welcome to Tuesday’s edition of The Forum Daily. I'm Dan Gordon, and the great Forum Daily team also includes Jillian Clark, Nicci Mattey, Dianna Roldan, Luisa Sinisterra and Clara Villatoro. If you have a story to share from your own community, please send it to me at dgordon@forumtogether.org.
PUSHBACK — Pushback from business and faith leaders has stemmed the passage of anti-immigration bills in Republican-leaning states, reports Lauren Kaori Gurley of The Washington Post. Among nearly 200 anti-immigrant bills introduced in state legislatures this year, fewer than two dozen have moved forward. "Business leaders across various industries are nervous about the many immigration-focused bills being proposed or that have recently passed at the state level, which negatively impact the workforce," Jennie says in the piece.
DACA DELAYS — For the nearly 500,000 recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), delayed processing of renewals puts their lives and work at stake, report Natalia Jaramillo and Camila Gomez of the Orlando Sentinel. The precarious situation puts financial strain on DACA recipients and their families, as Jackie Llanos of NOTUS reports. "You do everything right, and you still can’t even get an answer or any kind of update," said Vicente, a Florida firefighter paramedic. For more on DACA, see our explainer.
DETRIMENTAL TO CONSTRUCTION — Zachary Philips of Construction Dive delves into the major challenges for the industry faces as immigration falls. A decrease in foreign-born construction workers "will have detrimental impacts for commercial construction, which has a dire need for workers and relies on foreign-born professionals for craft work," Philips reports. "Commercial contractors need to pay close attention to immigration data because it directly affects workforce availability and their ability to meet project demand," said Kristen Swearingen of Associated Builders and Contractors.
NEIGHBORS’ SUPPORT — Amid immigration enforcement fears in northwest Iowa, community members are offering support, reports Sheila Brummer of Iowa Public Radio. "It's important for us to be proactive and to organize so as to create communities of having each other’s back," said the Rev. Bret Myers of the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Sioux City. Myers preaches on the importance of caring for one’s neighbors and started a group that meets twice monthly and supports vulnerable residents with necessities.
Thanks for reading,
Dan
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