How Oklahoma’s Citizenship Checks in Schools Reflect a National Agenda to Weaponize Education Against Immigrants

Oklahoma just ranked 49th in education—only narrowly beating New Mexico—and its response isn’t to fix its abysmal public school system. Instead, the state has decided to turn teachers into ICE agents, requiring schools to verify students’ citizenship or lawful presence. Yes, really. This is where we’re at: classrooms are becoming border checkpoints.

Let’s start with the facts. Over 75% of Oklahoma’s fourth graders aren’t proficient in reading, and 84% of eighth graders are failing math standards. Nearly 20% of high schoolers don’t graduate on time, and early childhood enrollment is abysmal, with almost 60% of kids aged three to four not attending preschool. Oklahoma schools are struggling across the board. Source after source confirms it: this state is failing its children academically. Instead of addressing those challenges, Oklahoma has decided to implement policies that will only exacerbate them. (Source: Oklahoma Education Stats)

But this isn’t just about Oklahoma. It’s part of a broader national strategy spearheaded by right-wing ideologues. Enter Project 2025, the conservative blueprint for reshaping government institutions into tools for enforcing hardline immigration policies and suppressing dissent. Oklahoma’s move to interrogate kids about their immigration status is ripped straight from this playbook. It’s not about education; it’s about control. (Learn more about Project 2025 here)

The hypocrisy is staggering. Republicans love to champion “parental rights” when it comes to banning books and muzzling teachers on topics like race and gender. But when it comes to immigrant families, suddenly it’s fine for schools to interrogate children and pry into their parents’ legal status. Apparently, rights only apply to the “right” kind of parents.

It’s important to note how unconstitutional this all is. In Plyler v. Doe (1982), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states must provide free public education to all children, regardless of immigration status. Oklahoma’s policy isn’t just cruel; it directly violates established law. But let’s face it—breaking the law hasn’t stopped the GOP before. It’s the same playbook they used for family separations, asylum bans, and the constant dehumanization of immigrants.

What makes this move especially sinister is its implications for public schools nationwide. Citizenship checks are the tip of the iceberg. They normalize the idea of schools as surveillance hubs and pave the way for further overreach. Today it’s immigration status. Tomorrow, it could be ideological purity tests. That’s how authoritarianism creeps in: under the guise of “security” and “order.”

The most infuriating part? This crackdown will divert resources from schools already stretched thin. Instead of hiring more teachers or investing in reading programs, Oklahoma will spend money chasing the ghosts of undocumented students—students who, let’s not forget, are legally entitled to an education. The cost won’t just be financial; it’ll be the trust and safety of kids who now have to fear that school could separate them from their families.

The national GOP is cheering this on, of course. It’s part of their broader strategy to weaponize public institutions against vulnerable communities. Policies like Oklahoma’s feed into their larger immigration narrative: immigrants are dangerous, children are collateral, and public schools are battlegrounds.

But let’s be clear: this isn’t just policy failure—it’s moral failure. Education should be the one space where every child feels safe, supported, and seen, regardless of their background. Turning schools into instruments of fear betrays that fundamental principle.

The bottom line? Oklahoma doesn’t have an education problem because of immigration. It has an education problem because its leaders would rather wage culture wars than invest in solutions. And the rest of the country should take note—because if this playbook works in Oklahoma, it’s coming to a school district near you.

Let’s not let that happen. Let’s demand better.