Chip Roy
04/08/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/08/2026 11:13
Rep. Roy Urges Feds to Roll Back Obama-Era Ban on Collecting Immigration Data in Schools
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Chip Roy sent a letter to Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon and Education Secretary Linda McMahon urging the two federal agencies to rescind an Obama-era policy that has prevented states from collecting basic immigration-status data in public schools.
Excerpts:
"While framed as civil rights guidance, this policy has had the practical effect of chilling lawful data collection by states and local educational agencies. As a result, states like Texas and various school board associations have avoided collecting basic immigration-status data-even where such information would be critical for resource allocation, program design, and long-term planning.
Importantly, nothing in federal law-including Plyler v. Doe-prohibits states from collecting demographic data, including immigration-status information, for legitimate educational and administrative purposes. While Plyler guarantees access to education, it does not prevent states from understanding the composition of their student populations or gathering data necessary to operate their school systems effectively.
States bear primary responsibility for administering K-12 education and must retain the authority to collect and analyze the data needed to allocate resources, ensure accountability, and serve students effectively. Federal guidance should not be interpreted-or enforced-in a way that undermines that responsibility.
In light of the Administration's broader efforts to revisit and improve prior guidance that may no longer reflect current law or policy priorities, I respectfully encourage your Departments to review and consider rescinding and updating the 2011 Dear Colleague Letter and its 2014 reaffirmation. Clarifying this issue would help ensure that states can confidently exercise their lawful authority without fear of unintended federal consequences."
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