In 2010, the ACLU of Nebraska threatened to sue Schuyler Community Schools for putting out a registration form that said students and their families would face criminal prosecution and expulsion if they lied about being here legally.
In a letter to the school district’s then-superintendent Robin Stevens, we urged that the policy be changed because it “could discourage parents from registering their children.” This policy would especially have affected homeless, low-income and immigrant families due to its vague, inaccurate and “inappropriately chilling” language, according to our legal director, Amy Miller.
SCS dropped the policy and changed its form after we held an education session for immigrant parents in the area.
Similarly, in 2014, we issued a letter to Omaha Public Schools on behalf of the South Sudanese Association of Omaha. The association complained that older teenage Sudanese refugees were being denied enrollment in high school because they were “too old to get enough credits to graduate.” OPS instead tried to get those students to just take ESL (English Second Language) classes.
After our letter, OPS apologized, directed staff to admit all older teen enrollees and removed the office where the problems had originated.
Nebraska, and America, have a long history of welcoming and integrating immigrants and refugees. The ACLU is dedicated to providing equality and dignity for all students in Nebraska schools – regardless of their immigration status.
Current proposals at the national level that threaten this welcoming history of America go against the values of our country. The Constitution and Bill of Rights guarantee protections of due process and equal protection to all people. We work to ensure that these protections are upheld, especially for our youngest and most vulnerable Nebraskans.
2016 is the 50th anniversary of the ACLU of Nebraska. We will feature several memories from our five decades of defending freedom in the Cornhusker state here. Do you have a favorite memory? Share it with us!
