Any child born on U.S. soil has been entitled to citizenship under the 14th Amendment (1868), a right the Supreme Court affirmed 128 years ago. The court is set to hear oral arguments in Trump v. Barbara, a case that could narrow or end birthright citizenship. The Trump administration has argued the “privilege” has been applied too broadly to children of noncitizens. If the court were to strike down that protection, the change would apply to children born on or after Feb. 20, 2025. A projection from the Migration Policy Institute and Penn State estimates roughly 255,000 U.S.-born children could begin life without U.S. citizenship each year, growing to about 4.8 million by 2045.
Advocates say birthright citizenship underpins child wellbeing and equal opportunity. Much of that equal footing flows through K–12 public schools, which provide not only education but meals, mental health supports, special education services, and other essential programs. Removing or narrowing birthright citizenship could complicate access to those services and to college.
K–12 access and Plyler v. Doe
All children, regardless of immigration status, currently have a constitutional right to a free public K–12 education under Plyler v. Doe (1982). That ruling barred states from denying students a basic education or charging tuition on the basis of immigration status. Because of Plyler, many districts avoid collecting immigration status information. But some conservative groups and policymakers have targeted Plyler: organizations like the Heritage Foundation have urged states to challenge the decision and to prioritize taxpayers by restricting schooling for undocumented students. Several state legislatures, including in Tennessee, are considering bills to track students’ legal status or to allow schools to refuse enrollment to undocumented children. If such laws pass, they could trigger legal battles that reopen the question of immigrants’ educational rights.
Attendance and school climate
Even when the legal right to attend exists, immigration enforcement can deter families from sending children to school. Districts that experienced heightened federal immigration activity reported sharp increases in absences: some Minnesota districts saw 20–40% jumps in absences after increased enforcement; researchers found a 22% attendance drop in parts of California following raids. These trends predate the current administration’s actions. Fear and anxiety in immigrant communities can reduce enrollment and attendance, which also reduces school funding in most states since districts receive money based on daily attendance and overall enrollment. That matters at a time when many districts are already facing enrollment declines.
Special education and Medicaid funding
Schools often identify children with disabilities and provide special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which guarantees a Free Appropriate Public Education to eligible students. Schools also rely heavily on Medicaid to fund related services—physical, speech, and occupational therapies, among others. Medicaid supports about half of students with special education plans and contributes billions to school budgets annually.
Medicaid eligibility is typically limited to citizens and certain legal statuses. If birthright citizenship is eliminated, U.S.-born children who would otherwise be citizens might lose Medicaid eligibility. While IDEA would still obligate districts to serve eligible students, the loss of Medicaid funding would force districts to replace that revenue, creating significant cost shifts for already strained budgets and risking gaps in services if families avoid enrolling children or accessing care.
Higher education barriers
Higher education operates under different rules: undocumented students can often enroll in college but are ineligible for federal financial aid, including federal loans and Pell Grants. Some states restrict attendance at public colleges or impose out-of-state tuition on undocumented students. Without birthright citizenship, many U.S.-born children could lose access to federal aid and other supports tied to citizenship, making college unaffordable for those already more likely to come from low-income backgrounds. Research links citizenship and legal status to educational attainment and long-term economic contributions; narrowing birthright citizenship could create intergenerational barriers that limit opportunity and economic mobility.
Broader consequences
A Supreme Court decision that narrows or ends birthright citizenship would not only change legal status for hundreds of thousands of children annually but would also ripple through public education, special education funding, school attendance and climate, and higher education access. The effects could exacerbate fear in immigrant communities, strain local school budgets, reduce access to health and therapeutic services, and limit long-term opportunities for millions of children—potentially creating a persistent, caste-like divide based on immigration status.