I thought this was very interesting! Even school officals are getting fed up with this issue. I'll watch to see where this goes. It was discussed on our local radio -they are going to watch it as well as they want to support the school official in case he gets in trouble. Is this another law that will get revisited? Notice how quick the parent went running to MALDEF... Note: North Chicago is the direct southern neighbor of Waukegan.


Legal status questioned at school enrollment

August 11, 2007
By RYAN PAGELOW rpagelow@scn1.com

A parent trying to re-register her child at a North Chicago school was allegedly questioned about her immigration status earlier this week before her child was eventually enrolled in the district.

The Illinois State Board of Education is reviewing the enrollment policy of North Chicago Community Unit District 187, said board spokesperson Matt Vanover.

"We have reached out to the district and requested they provide us with their policies on enrollment documentation," he said. "Immigration status has no bearing on the right of a student to enroll."

The district requires proof of residency within District 187 boundaries by providing three of the following: A recent gas bill, electric bill, mortgage, renter's lease or driver's license or state ID.

Earlier this week a parent used a gas bill, electric bill and mortgage documents to satisfy the district's residency requirements at her child's local school, according to Ricardo Meza, regional counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

The parent, who neither Meza nor school officials identified, also presented a photo identification card issued by the Mexican Consulate in Chicago, known as a matricula. Administrators told her that the matricula was not being accepted as proof of district residency and she needed to produce a state-issued identification card.

The parent complained to an administrator at the district office who responded by calling Homeland Security. The administrator then told the parent to show proof of legal residency or work authorization, Meza said.

School officials cannot make inquires of students or parents that may expose their undocumented status, according to a 1982 Supreme Court case that overturned a Texas statute that denied enrollment in the public schools to children not legally admitted into the country.

District 187 School Board President Gloria Harper said that the call to Homeland Security was only to inquire about the matricula card.

The intent of the district's proof of residency requirements are to ensure that all students live within district boundaries.

"For the taxpayer we must ensure that the children do live in North Chicago," Harper said.

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