The Archive
Reference Library
The founding document as written, a plain overview of the seven Articles, and a glossary of archaic and legal terms.
Back to Supreme Court Rulings
Immigration & Citizenship
Plyler v. Doe
Decided: 1982
In brief
Held that states cannot deny free public education to children based on immigration status.
The Court's ruling in depth
Texas sought to withhold public education funds for children not 'legally admitted' to the United States. The Court struck the policy down under the Equal Protection Clause: while undocumented status is not a 'suspect' classification, denying children access to basic education imposes 'a lifetime hardship on a discrete class of children not accountable for their disabling status.' Plyler remains a bulwark of educational access for undocumented children.