STRATEN: LAWS PROHIBITING SCHOOLS FROM CHECKING IMMIGRATION STATUS ARE WRONG

                                                         
 Laws preventing school districts from asking about students' immigration status are wrong and do not reflect public opinion, according to Roland Straten, Republican candidate for Congress in New Jersey's 8th District.
 
"I was surprised to learn that it is against the law to ask if students are illegal aliens," says Straten.  "It seems to be a contradiction and I believe the public has misgivings about spending their tax dollars to educate illegals."
 
A recent survey by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey found that 20 percent of the state's public schools illegally ask for information that would reveal immigration status.  New Jersey law requires that anyone, regardless of citizen status, between the ages of 5 and 20 is eligible to attend public school.
 
"I can easily empathize with the districts," says Straten.  "They are dealing with limited resources, rising costs, and stifled by state and federal regulations. Making sure students are here legally is not an unreasonable standard to meet."
 
School districts are permitted to ask for information to determine if students live in the district.  Students cannot, except under special circumstances, live in one district and attend another.
 
"It seems wrong that districts must determine if students are legally attending their schools, but are barred from determining if they are illegal period," says Straten.  "If elected, I would look into changing laws like this. They just don't make sense to people."
 
Roldand Straten grew up in Bellville and Wayne and is a 39 year resident of Montclair. Roland served as a Naval Officer in the Vietnam War and was the head of Associated Fire Protection in Paterson before deciding he wanted to serve the people of the Eighth District in Congress. Roland has served as chair of the Paterson Economic Development Corporation and as a Commissioner on the New Jersey Fire Commission.

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