MONTGOMERY, Alabama (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department is asking school districts in Alabama to hand over enrollment information about all their students as part of its lawsuit challenging that state's tough new immigration law.
The department sent letters Monday to 39 school superintendents asking for lists that include the students' race, national origin and whether English is their primary language. Justice department attorneys also are seeking the names of students who have withdrawn from school and the dates they left.
The Obama administration is concerned the law may chill student participation. It wants the information to determine if further action is warranted. The letter went to districts with significant Hispanic populations.
The letter notes the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1982 that schools may not deny a student access based on immigration status.
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