Education officials in Alabama reported large amounts of immigrant parents had withdrawn their children from school or kept them home for the entire week, in fear that having their kids attend would draw attention from police.

Their fears come from a court ruling that upheld the state’s strong crack down on illegal immigration. School systems are supposed to begin checking the status of first-time enrollees immediately. The law, however, does not require proof of citizenship to enroll.

The Obama administration filed an appeal Friday hoping the new law would be overturned. 

Many school principals claim parents have nothing to fear and urge parents to keep their kids in school. The anxiety, however, has been too much for some families. Some couples have moved out of the state in fear of punishment. 

Just this past week, the state distributed letters to parents insisting the immigration information will only be used for statistics. 

“Rest assured that it will not be a problem if you are unable or unwilling to provide either of the documents [citizenship documents or sworn statements by parents].”

Read more about the story from the Associated Press here.

Reach writer Mike Vulpo here

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