Walters requests AG opinion on impact of Trump immigration order on Oklahoma schools
Walters requests AG opinion on impact of Trump immigration order on Oklahoma schools
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Hundreds protest proposed Oklahoma immigration rules during OSBE meeting
The year's first Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting was held simultaneously, led by Ryan Walters who has proposed several immigration-related rules.
Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters requested a formal opinion from Attorney General Gentner Drummond about the impact of Trump's executive order on federally funded schools.
The request comes amidst political tension as Drummond has announced his candidacy for governor, a position Walters is also considering.
State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters has requested a formal opinion from Attorney General Gentner Drummond regarding the impact of President Donald Trump's recent executive order on federally funded public school programs in Oklahoma.
Walters announced his request in a press release issued Monday afternoon. As an elected state official, Walters does have the authority to make such a request, 'and we will respond in due course,' said Phil Bacharach, a spokesman for Drummond.
'I am fully committed to ensuring that Oklahoma is a strong partner in advancing President Trump's agenda for public education,' Walters said in a statement. 'Taxpayer dollars should be used to support the education of American students, not to subsidize or create a magnet for illegal immigration. We must ensure compliance with the President's executive order and take the necessary steps to uphold the rule of law in our schools.'
Walters cites an executive order issued on Feb. 19, which he said directs federal agencies 'to identify and correct programs' that might allow undocumented residents to receive public benefits.'
Walters said some Oklahoma public-school services, including those funded with federal Title I money, school nutrition programs and English language proficiency programs, receive federal funding and thus could fall under Trump's order.
The superintendent asks two questions to Drummond in his request for an official opinion – does the order affect federally funded school programs in Oklahoma, and if it does, what steps should the Oklahoma State Department of Education take to comply with it?
Walters' request asks Drummond to opine on matters of federal law, while state attorneys general usually focus more on state law. In Oklahoma, an attorney general's formal opinion holds the force of law, absent a court ruling.
The request also comes against a complicated political backdrop between the two Republicans. Drummond already has declared his candidacy to become governor and Walters is mentioned as a potential rival for that job, even though Walters hasn't announced his candidacy for the 2026 election. The two often have been at odds, including over potential violations of the Oklahoma Open Meetings Act during state Board of Education meetings led by Walters.
Walters is pressing for legislative approval of an agency administrative rule that would allow the agency he leads, the Oklahoma State Department of Education, not just to ask for the immigration status of students, but of their parents, as well
In a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Plyler v. Doe, the court said all students had the right to enroll in public schools without regard to the immigration status of themselves or their parents or guardians. Walters has told cable network NewsNation that the Supreme Court 'got it wrong' in that decision.
Walters has also publicly said he would support federal immigration raids on Oklahoma schools. He has sidestepped answering questions about the emotional and mental affect those raids might have on Oklahoma schoolchildren.
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