Immigrant Children Must be Enrolled in Public Schools: New Jersey -- October 2 !

" In New Jersey# new measures are being $ut in $lace to ensure that the children o% illegal immigrants will be allowed access to the &'S' $ublic education system# regardless o% their $arents( immigration status' Immigration attorneys in New Jersey say that the recently $assed bill will re)uire that the state education entities send two notices a year to the school districts across the state# reminding school board o%%icials that all children o% age must be enrolled in school# whether or not their $arents are in the country legally' *he bill was $rimarily s$onsored by +obo,en -ssemblyman .uben J' .amos Jr# along with -ssembly members -nnette /ui0ano# Marlene Caride# and 1abriele Mos)uera' +udson County co-s$onsors Jason O(2onnell 34ayonne5 and state Senators Sandra Cunningham and 4rian Stac, also bac,ed the bill' .amos $resented the legislation to the state -ssembly in June o% 2 !2# where it was a$$ro6ed 78-!" and sent on to the Senate Education Committee' *he state Senate also a$$ro6ed the bill "9-!# and the law will be in e%%ect at the end o% October# 7 days %rom its a$$ro6al in Se$tember' *he legislation is based on a &'S' Su$reme Court decision %rom !:;2# in which the 0udges ruled that undocumented children cannot be denied education at $ublic elementary and secondary schools# although their $arents are in the country illegally' -s .amos said in su$$ort o% his bill# <=e(re tal,ing about children who ha6e no control o6er their immigration status#> who are entitled to the bene%its o% the $ublic education system' In an e%%ort to en%orce this ruling# school districts will be reminded that $ublic education is %ree and mandatory %or all school-aged children# unless an acce$table alternati6e is $ro6ided# such as homeschooling or $ri6ate schooling' -long with the semi-annual reminders# state de$artments must also ad6ise school districts what they are allowed to re)uest as documentation when a student see,s admission at the school' Similar to this legislation is a recent bill that see,s to $ro6ide in-state tuition rates %or undocumented college students a$$lying to state colleges and uni6ersities in New Jersey# $ro6ided they ha6e attended a state $ublic high school %or at least three years' ?nown as the NJ 2ream -ct# the bill also aims to $ro6ide education bene%its to all state residents# regardless o% their $arents( status in the country' 1o6' Chris Christie has recently announced his $ublic su$$ort o% the bill# and other su$$orters say that the -ct o%%ers all students the o$$ortunity to be $art o% a well-educated# success%ul -merican generation' Pro6iding education to children o% illegal immigrants has some $eo$le u$ in arms# claiming that these students do not deser6e to rea$ the bene%its their $arents ha6e not earned through $aying ta@es and ser6ing as legitimate members o% the &'S' wor,%orce' 4ut immigration attorneys in New Jersey say that the $ending legislation demonstrates an understanding that school boards and educators ha6e a res$onsibility to all children who want to learn# in order to create an educated basis %or the ne@t generation' *hese children are not# in the new laws# held res$onsible %or the acts o% their $arents# and will be granted the chance to ma,e their own %utures' *he immigration attorneys at New Jersey law firm Helmer, Conley, and Kasselman, PA represent anyone who is see,ing $ermanent status in -merica# or has immigrated illegally in the ho$es o% $ro6iding a better %uture %or their children' Contact an HCK immigration lawyer %or a %ree consultation today'