The Texas district is under scrutiny after a board member proposed counting migrant children in schools

A school district in Texas is currently under public scrutiny after a board trustee asked if authorities had a way to track students’ immigration status.

“Do we have a way to measure or understand how many illegal immigrant children we have that we are raising? Are we even allowed to ask that question? Do we have a way to track that just to see what that looks like?” said Morgan Calhoun, according to a transcript of the meeting.

Katy ISD Superintendent Ken Gregorski reminded members that “it would be unlawful to ask about immigration status,” adding that the district does not engage in this practice. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1982 that all children in the country have the right to a public education, regardless of their immigration status, preventing local authorities from conducting such investigations.

However, Calhoun suggested the district move forward with legislation to make this happen, saying taxpayers should not fund children who are in the country illegally.

“If we can’t know who is illegal or legal, we can’t get money to offset those costs, right? If we don’t know, we don’t know where we are losing money or making money in any way,” she said.

Local outlet Khou 11 collected testimonies from residents, who rejected the proposal, calling it reckless.

Texas is at the forefront of the public debate when it comes to measures related to unlawful immigration, especially through SB4, a law that allows local law enforcement to arrest and deport immigrants who are in the state illegally.

The law is currently on hold while a U.S. Court of Appeals hears arguments over its constitutionality, as the Justice Department and other organizations have filed a lawsuit to prevent the law from taking effect. However, many other Republican-led states have followed suit and passed similar laws, including Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana and Oklahoma.

The Greg Abbott administration has also fortified its borders with physical barriers and increased law enforcement. leading smugglers to paths of less resistance, such as Arizona and California.

A sheriff in Cochise County, Arizona, told Border Report that these illegal organizations adjust their routes as soon as U.S. law enforcement pours resources into an area. And while California has seen the highest number of arrests in the past month, Arizona is still leading in this regard this fiscal year.

Specifically, the San Diego sector recorded more than 37,000 encounters in April, but the total is about 222,000 in fiscal year 2024 (which started in October), 150,000 fewer than Tucson, Arizona. Del Rio of Texas came in third with just under 205,000, while El Paso came in fourth with 180,738, according to NewsNation figures.