Speech #1030135826

Mr. Speaker. I would like to call my colleagues attention to the upcoming debate on the Rohrabacher amendment to H.R. 6 and state my opposition to this misguided approach to immigration policy. The Rohrabaeher amendment would require local school districts to compile statistics each year on the number of students who are not lawfully in the United States. While this may seem like a good policy to some it really only amounts to a massive unfunded mandate and an impossible administrative burden to our school districts. The courts have ruled that we must educate a child that shows up at our schools and treating any child differently due to their race or parents background would seriously undermine that childs right to an education. I agree that something must be done to stop illegal immigration but our schools are not the place to fight that battle. Our teachers are not immigration agents and it is the job of the Immigration and Naturalization Service to enforce our countries immigration laws not our public schools. This amendment will not solve the problem of illegal immigration. nor will it ease the number of children crowding our schools. It will only shift the financial burden. I ask my colleagues to oppose this amendment because this education bill is not the appropriate forum to debate immigration policy and furthermore. we should not punish children for the status of their parents. The Immigration and Naturalization Service opposes this amendment a does the National Conference of State Legislatures. Mr. Speaker.