Enid, OK – Oklahoma’s state superintendent, Ryan Walters, has stirred controversy after announcing that his department would support President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, particularly a new proposal that requires parents to show proof of U.S. citizenship or legal immigration status when enrolling their children in public schools. The announcement, made in an interview with NewsNation’s Connell McShane on Wednesday, further clarified that Oklahoma schools would not act as “sanctuary schools,” a stance that has raised significant concern among educators, civil rights advocates, and immigrant families.
Walters expressed his commitment to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, stating that the state’s education system would provide information to the federal government if needed. “We will work with President Trump,” Walters said. “If he needs the information, we’ll get it for him.” The state’s Board of Education, under Walters’ leadership, recently approved the policy proposal, which mandates that public school districts collect and report the number of students whose families fail to provide proof of legal U.S. citizenship or immigration status.
Though the proposal does not prevent students from attending school without proof of legal status, it requires districts to record and report these instances to the Oklahoma State Department of Education. Proponents of the rule argue that it ensures transparency and accountability, while Walters emphasized the importance of keeping families intact. “If the president and ICE don’t know where the families are, where the students are, you’re going to have families that are deported without their kids,” Walters stated during the interview.
The proposal has been met with significant criticism. Teachers, civil liberties groups, and immigration advocates have expressed concerns that it could create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation in schools, potentially dissuading immigrant children from attending. Parents have also voiced their opposition, with some staging protests outside the state’s education building on Tuesday night. One group of parents suggested they might pull their children from Oklahoma schools or even relocate to other states in response to the policy.
The situation has raised questions about the role of schools in safeguarding the rights of students, particularly those from immigrant families, in an era of heightened immigration enforcement. Critics argue that the policy could undermine trust between schools and immigrant communities, making it harder for children to receive an education without fear of exposing their family’s immigration status. As the debate continues, the Oklahoma Department of Education’s stance on the issue appears set to influence not just the state’s educational landscape but also its broader approach to immigration policy in the coming months.
