KOLD News 13Dupnik wants to deny education to illegal immigrants

Dupnik wants to deny education to illegal immigrants

By Mark Stine - email

"If you're here illegally then, in my judgement, the only solution is to return to the country you came from," Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said at a press conference on Tuesday.

Sheriff Dupnik took to the podium to push his new idea that schools should deny education to students who are in the country illegally.

"The problem that I see is that schools aren't allowed to ensure that the students are here legally," Dupnik said.

Educators aren't allowed to check a students immigration status because of a 1982 ruling by the Supreme Court. A ruling Sheriff Dupnik believes could be overturned with today's court.

Dupnik explained, "We are not going into classrooms. We are not going into schools looking for illegal students. I find that though repugnant and repulsive."

He says there are no policies changing at the sheriff's department, this is only an idea. Dupnik said, "I'm not on a platform, I don't have a plan, I don't have a strategy."

"This would be a policy decision that would have a great deal of impact," Flowing Wells School District Superintendent Nic Clement said.

Clement says he was surprised by Sheriff Dupnik's press conference. He says their district's mission is to provide education and focus on learning and teaching.

"We're limited in our resources as it is and to take on another role, I don't think that would be something I could support," Clement told KOLD.

Over at Sunnyside High School, a school in the district that Dupnik said has the worst illegal immigration problem in our county, some students disagree with his idea.

"I think that's messed up cause everybody should have a right to go to school here even if you don't have papers," Sunnyside junior Bruno Abarca said.

Border Action Network's Director Jennifer Allen says even if Sheriff Dupnik doesn't have a plan to implement his idea, the idea is already out.

"The ripples of fear have already permeated our town and it is already setting a precedent and a tone for people and members of our community that he should be working to build trust with, not isolate," Allen told KOLD.

What do you think about Sheriff Dupnik's idea? Post a comment and let us know if you are upset or if you support the idea.