NEW YORK, NY — EdTrust-New York applauds Gov. Hochul’s leadership in advancing protections for undocumented students and defends every child’s right to a public education across New York State. The Governor’s proposal incorporates key elements of legislation (S8597/A10021), which Shelley Mayer (D-37) and Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz (D-39) champion. Together, these proposals together demonstrate New York is ready to act at a critical moment to strengthen protections and ensure schools remain safe, supportive places to learn, even as other states undermine immigrant students’ access to education. 

As national threats to Plyler v. Doe, the 1982 Supreme Court decision that guarantees access to K-12 public education for all children regardless of immigration status, continue to grow, EdTrust-New York partnered with NYS Language and Education Rights Network, organized by the Internationals Network for Public Schools, to develop state policy to protect and defend immigrant students. We are working with the legislature and the Governor to safeguard immigrant students’ right to public education in New York.  

At a time when states like Texas, Tennessee, and Oklahoma lay out the legal groundwork to challenge Plyler, backed by the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025” agenda and recent report, New York is poised to take decisive action to protect students.  

 Together, the Governor and legislature propose actions that: 

• Codify Plyler protections into state law, ensuring the right to public education regardless of immigration status, even if federal precedent is overturned.
• Prohibit schools from inquiring about immigration status.
• Prohibit immigration enforcement on school grounds without a judicial warrant and require schools to implement clear protocols to protect students.  

These measures preserve the rights of all students, regardless of immigration status, and protect those rights from shifts in federal law or Supreme Court precedent. EdTrust-New York urges the Governor and Legislature to enact these protections in the final Enacted Budget.  

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About EdTrust-New York 

EdTrust-New York is dedicated to eliminating equity and opportunity gaps that hinder students from reaching their full potential. We focus on ensuring that students of color, including Black, Latinx, Native American, and Asian American and Pacific Islander students, and those from low-income backgrounds achieve high levels of success from early childhood through college. For more information, visit EdTrustNY.org.