They’re Already Scared to Come to School. Republicans Want to Kick Them Out for Good.

Stephen Miller, a top White House advisor, asked Texas Republicans in a closed-door meeting last week to exclude undocumented children from public schools, escalating efforts to restrict education access that could violate the 1982 Supreme Court ruling Plyler v. Doe. The push comes as immigrant student enrollment has already plummeted across the country—Houston's largest school district lost nearly 4,000 immigrant students this year, a 22 percent drop, partly due to ICE enforcement near schools. Rep. Chip Roy, a Texas Republican, held a House hearing this month arguing Plyler "was wrongly decided," opening a legislative path to challenge the precedent. Miller previously led a similar effort in 2017–2019 during Trump's first term without success. The current campaign is part of the Trump administration's broader anti-immigration agenda and comes as immigrant children nationwide report fear of attending school.