Published 9 hours ago • loading... • Updated 6 hours ago
Most Americans broadly support public education for undocumented students – regardless of their political affiliation and religion
A national survey found broad support across age, income and faith groups, with 57.5% of Republicans and 93.9% of Democrats in favor.
A survey of more than 1,500 Americans conducted in mid-April 2026 found 75.5% support public education for undocumented children, regardless of immigration status.
The Supreme Court affirmed the right to free public education in the 1982 case Plyler v. Doe, establishing a four-decade precedent that subsequent legal challenges have failed to overturn.
While 93.9% of Democrats support the policy, only 57.5% of Republicans agree, revealing a stark political divide in survey responses across the nation.
The Heritage Foundation has encouraged state legislators to challenge this right; Tennessee, Ohio, Idaho, and Oklahoma each proposed bills to restrict enrollment, though all failed.
Public opinion has shifted dramatically since the 90s toward supporting undocumented students, with Pew Research finding 74% of Americans supported legal status for Dreamers in 2020.