With the cost of all the bombs dropped on schools and places of worship across the world, we could better invest in the lives of every human being on the planet. We don't have to accept the status quo of war. I promise you.

I talked to @jonapolitano.bsky.social for @the74.bsky.social: “These attacks undermine our democracy and threaten to create an underclass of millions of children with uncertain futures and no rights in this country.” “It is fundamentally immoral, unconstitutional, anti-child and un-American.”

“By denying these children a basic education, we deny them the ability to live within the structure of our civic institutions, and foreclose any realistic possibility that they will contribute in even the smallest way to the progress of our Nation.” www.nytimes.com/2026/03/28/o...

[1] Birthright citizenship goes to the Supreme Court this week! Ending birthright citizenship would have devastating consequences on generations of children and families. www.npr.org/2026/03/30/n...

[7] "The law is still the law, children can still go to school. Now, we know that that is being complicated at this moment by immigration enforcement around schools. The birthright citizenship issue complicates that even further." @alevazquezbaur.bsky.social, of #NationalNewcomerNetwork

Saenz: the undocumented population is so small that, even if they were all blocked from school, we'd still have English learner programs and other instructional supports. Those costs can't be fairly attributed as an effect of Plyler. (This is really the key point of the whole hearing.)

That's because: The overwhelming majority (75% or more) of English learners are US citizens. AND many of the remaining quarter are here legally (as are their families). So: you can't use ELs data to make claims about the fiscal impacts of children of undocumented parents on the K–12 system.

"We must firmly reject a worldview that only certain classes of children—those whose parents can afford to pay—are entitled to the blessings of liberty and the hope of a brighter future."

It's one of TCF's strongest areas of focus in K–12 education policy. tcf.org/content/comm...

This has been a historic area of focus for The Century Foundation. My colleague @alevazquezbaur.bsky.social has also written about this @tcfdotorg.bsky.social. tcf.org/content/test...

There's a hearing in the House today—bitterly ironic that it's being hosted by the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution—entitled #Immigration Policy by Court Order: The Adverse Effects of Plyler v. Doe. I'm gonna use this thread to share some thoughts. judiciary.house.gov/committee-ac...

If you're in Austin for #SXSW, don't miss @alevazquezbaur.bsky.social and National Newcomers Network this evening at Punch Bowl Social this evening!

If you’re in Austin this week, make sure to join us at our #SXSWEDU mixer this evening! We’re bringing together friends and co-conspirators for an evening of joy and celebration. You won’t want to miss ✨ RSVP here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... Note: you don’t need a SXSW pass to join us!

It’s past time that we took on the fight for immigrant students head on. A crucial way we can do so is to invoke and shore up one of education’s most crucial legal protections: Plyler v. Doe. Read more from TCF's @alevazquezbaur.bsky.social ⬇️ tcf.org/content/comm...

Attacks on immigrant students are an attack on all of our students and our schools. Students need to feel safe so they can learn and grow—they shouldn't have to worry about armed men illegally storming into their school. @alevazquezbaur.bsky.social writes for TCF 👇 tcf.org/content/comm...

Also: worth reposting that @alevazquezbaur.bsky.social and I were on this beat several years ago. "[T]heir campaign against these children’s schooling is a trainwreck of moral reasoning." www.the74million.org/article/deny...

Since Trump returned to office, the Education Department’s civil rights office has not resolved a single racial harassment investigation. It sends a message that “people impacted by racial discrimination ... don’t matter,” one attorney said. (Published Dec. 2025)

As year two of the new Trump presidency begins, we continue to choose each other, support our communities, and stand strong as we work to rewrite history and build a society where all of us are welcome. 🦋 We resist, organize, and care for one another because we know a better world is possible. 🌟

What are your rights as an educator? What can you do to protect your students’ rights? Our new TK-12 Toolkit can help you develop a strategy to protect your students’ well-being and futures: tinyurl.com/SafeTK-12

Tomorrow’s front page of the Minnesota Star Tribune: Jan. 23, 2026

It’s only gonna get worse from here, folks. The moment demands we step TF up, push harder, and rest deeper… bc we have *at least* 3 more years. Big love to all the immigrant-connected people dealing with the personal suffering behind closed doors and returning every day to fight the good fight. ❤️

ICE is using children as bait. The cruelty is the point. Look at this photo of a terrified 5-year-old and ask yourself: Is this how I want my tax dollars spent? Then tell your members of Congress right now and make it clear: NO MORE FUNDING FOR DHS. www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...

It's illegal & unconstitutional for ICE to break down doors & arrest people without warrants. If an ICE agent has entered/enters your home without your consent or a warrant signed by a judge, contact NILC if you're interested in joining a legal challenge to this policy at [email protected].

[10] “Congress must refuse any additional funding for immigration enforcement and instead protect the sacred spaces where our children learn and grow.” Alejandra Vázquez Baur, National Newcomer Network

As CLASP releases “The First Year of Trump’s Second Term: Harms to Children, Families, and Workers,” a new timeline showing how the Trump Admin remade the federal landscape in 2025. www.clasp.org/publications...

🧊Have you heard about 287(g) agreements? 287(g) is a way ICE seeks to seize local resources for mass deportations. Passing the New York for All Act would prevent our local law enforcement from acting as an extension of the Trump admin’s deportation machine. Call your rep: win.newmode.net/ny4all

"Congress must refuse any additional funding for immigration enforcement and instead protect the sacred spaces where our children learn and grow." Thank you to @clasp.org’s Children Thrive Action Network (CTAN) for leading this critical effort. childrenthriveaction.org/2026/01/chil...

Recapping 2025 with @jonapolitano.bsky.social for @the74.bsky.social: “Since January 2025, the administration has blanketed communities with ICE agents, which—predictably—has only brought chaos, cruelty and violence to our schools, and we anticipate this is just the beginning." shorturl.at/KOcrF

"That’s the work. That’s our No. 1 responsibility. If you tell me that is not your No. 1 duty, to make sure that your students, your families, feel like this is their school district and that we are here for them, then I think you failed at leadership." 👏🏽 www.edweek.org/leadership/w...

BIG NEWS: Today, Gov. Hochul and Mayor Mamdani announced a sweeping child care plan: free child care for 2-year-olds in NYC and more affordable care for all kids under 5. 🎉

I really want ppl w/o Minneapolis connections to understand You might've heard that Mpls public schools went hybrid bc so many families are in hiding. Well, a coworker just told me that today, during his kid's hybrid class, a kid's apt building was raided onscreen *Everyone has stories like this*

Pay attention🚨 ICE wielded weapons and physical force against students and staff on school property. Against KIDS. We know this isn't about safety––it’s a performance of dominance that keeps NO ONE safe, and it poisons the learning environment for the entire community, not just immigrants. Shame.

From Los Angeles to Minneapolis, the pattern is clear: when communities rise to protect each other, ICE answers with violence. Last week in Northridge, Keith Porter was killed by an off-duty ICE agent. Days later, Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis lost her life. 🕯️

Some reports say that she was a citizen—a stark reminder that this could be any of us. Your citizenship no longer protects you. If ICE deems you a threat for any reason, all the protections afforded you by the Constitution are lost. ICE Kills. What a devastating day in America.

The Vanity Fair photographer from the Susie Wiles story. Holy. Shit. www.washingtonpost.com/style/power/...

Immigrant Resources from National Newcomer Network: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Are you a teacher working with newcomers or English learners? Join the National Newcomer Network in the EVEN Fellowship to uplift their strengths and stories! 🌟 Apply now: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

The National Newcomer Network is launching Elevating Voices of Educators of Newcomers fellowship to empower teachers to tell stories about the many ways immigrant students make their schools & communities better. Learn more and apply now: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

The Dept. of Education is withholding $6.2B meant for English learners & teacher support. A survey by Immigrant Connections & National Newcomer Network shows districts risk losing staff, after-school care, family events, and classroom materials.

Immigration enforcement is driving away early childhood educators hechingerreport.org/immigration-...

Honored to be quoted in this piece alongside my dear friend and Charlotte City Councilmember, JD Mazuera, who said: “We made a web of our own… woven by love, unity, community and laughter. In spite of fear, despair, anxiety and confusion, we always find a way to show the world who we are.”

Be among the #BraveofUS! Calling all teachers who work directly with newcomers, children of immigrants, and/or English learners—and want to tell the world the many ways these children make our schools and communities better. Apply to this @tcfdotorg.bsky.social fellowship: bit.ly/EVENFellows2026

All children deserve to live within the safety of their families, regardless of their background or place of origin.