What protections do immigrant students have in California schools?

Your child belongs in school, and the law protects them there. This is general information, not legal advice.

Can my child go to school without papers?

Yes. Every child in the U.S. has the right to a free public education, whatever their status or their parents' status. The U.S. Supreme Court decided this in Plyler v. Doe in 1982. Some states have tried to limit it since 2024, but it has not been overturned. In California, children 6 to 18 generally must be enrolled in school.

What can the school not ask for?

• No immigration papers. Information about citizenship or immigration status is never needed to enroll (Attorney General, Know Your Educational Rights).
• No Social Security number. You don't have to give a number or a card.
• No passports or visas required. You don't have to use documents that could reveal status. To prove age, other papers work, like a birth or baptism certificate, or a parent's signed statement if none of those can be found.
• Birthplace questions are optional. A school may ask where a child was born or when they arrived, for special programs. It must ask separately from enrollment, and leaving it blank cannot block enrollment.
• Meals. Every public school student can get free breakfast and lunch. If a meal form asks, a school may ask only the last four digits of an adult's Social Security number, and must say that leaving it blank will not block enrollment.

Does the school keep my status private?

California schools may not collect a student's or family's citizenship or immigration status, except where the law requires it (AB 495). School directory information cannot include national origin, citizenship or immigration status. Staff may not give student or family information to immigration officers without a judge's warrant, a judicial subpoena or a court order.

Is my child protected from bullying about status?

Yes. State law bans discrimination based on nationality, race or ethnicity, and immigration status in any school program that gets state money (Education Code 220). Your child has the right to take part in every school program and activity. Schools must have a policy against discrimination, harassment, intimidation and bullying that covers immigration status, and staff must step in when they see it (Education Code 234.1).

How to complain:

1. Write it down. Dates, names, what was said or done, and screenshots.
2. File a written complaint with the district under its Uniform Complaint Procedures. A signed email counts. If you cannot write, the district must help you (California Department of Education).
3. File within 6 months of the incident for discrimination or bullying. You can ask in writing for up to 90 more days. The district must send a written decision within 60 days, unless you agree in writing to more time (5 CCR 4630 to 4632).
4. Appeal if you disagree. You can appeal to the California Department of Education in writing within 30 days of the decision. Attach your complaint and the district's report.

You can still talk to the principal first. Just do not let the 6 months run out while you wait.

What if immigration agents come to school?

California law limits what the school can allow:

• No entry to classrooms or offices without a judge's warrant, judicial subpoena or court order.
• No interview or search of your child without a parent's consent, unless there is a judge's warrant or court order.
• The school must tell you right away if an officer asks for access to your child.
• If you are not available, the school must first follow your emergency contact instructions.

A judge's warrant can change this. Details: Can ICE come into my child's school? and What can parents do to protect their kids at school?

Will the school talk to me in my language?

Often, yes, in writing. If 15 percent or more of a school's students speak the same language other than English, every notice, report and record the school sends parents must also be in that language, and you may answer in either language (Education Code 48985). Bullying and discrimination complaint forms must be translated under the same rule.

That rule is about written papers. For a meeting, ask the school ahead of time: "Can you have an interpreter at our meeting?" Bring a trusted adult if no interpreter is offered. Do not use your child as the interpreter for serious meetings if you can avoid it.

What about learning English?

Schools give a home language survey at enrollment. Students whose main language is not English take the Initial ELPAC test. Parents get written notice before and written results within 30 calendar days of the first day. English learners get English language lessons plus support inside their other classes. Ask the school how your child is placed.

What if we have no stable home?

If your family is staying with others, in a motel, a shelter or a car, your child can be enrolled right away under the federal McKinney Vento law, even without the usual records. Every district has a homeless liaison who can help. See What if we do not have a stable place to live?

What if the school breaks these rules?

1. Talk to the principal or district office. Ask for the district's written policy.
2. Write down what happened, with dates and names.
3. Contact the California Attorney General's Bureau of Children's Justice: (800) 952-5225, BCJ@doj.ca.gov, or oag.ca.gov/bcj/complaint. The Bureau looks at patterns. It may send a single case to the Civil Rights Department.

Who can help?

Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• Ravenswood City School District registration help: call (650) 838-3564 or text (650) 384-7797
• Sequoia Union High School District Newcomer Family Liaison: (650) 369-1411 ext. 22537, for recently arrived students
• Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto: (650) 326-6440
• California Attorney General, Bureau of Children's Justice: (800) 952-5225
• 211: free help finding local services. See 211

Related questions

• Can ICE come into my child's school?
• What can parents do to protect their kids at school?
• Can I still go to college in California as an undocumented student?

Your child's place in the classroom is protected. Walk in with your head high.