ELL News Headlines

The American Civil Liberties Union accused the U.S. government last week of unlawfully separating a Congolese woman and her 7-year-old daughter by holding them in different immigration facilities -- the mother in San Diego, the child in Chicago -- after they sought asylum four months ago.

Today was supposed to be the day that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program officially came to an end, terminating deportation protections for nearly 700,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children.  A Supreme Court ruling delayed that end date, possibly by as much as a year, but DACA enrollees are still using Monday to push Congress and the White House to pass a new law to grant them permanent protections.

Even though the fate of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program remains uncertain, it has not deterred young Dreamers from pursuing scholarships to colleges in the United States. "In the last few months, we have seen a sharp uptick in the number of applications for our college scholarships. It's even surprised me," said Candy Marshall, president of TheDream.US, a nationwide scholarship fund that helps DACA status immigrants attend one of 75 colleges in 15 states.

Luz Bolanos always wanted to work in medicine. In high school, she attended a medical program that catered to her interests in the field. She wasn't sure what exactly she wanted to study or where she would go to college, but her focus was always on a career in healthcare. Those dreams were shattered when she was advised that her undocumented status would put her at risk with the immigration authorities.

Sujei Lugo is a former school librarian in Puerto Rico. She writes, " "I returned to Puerto Rico (with luggage full of books and supplies) for New Year’s and Three Kings’ Day, staying from December 29, 2017 to January 8, 2018. While my family had power when I arrived, it went out a few times while I was there. Seeing the destruction and the lack of progress three months after the storm was startling and upsetting. My people were still in survival mode. But I also saw hope in the Puerto Rican people and their actions–neighbors helping each other, people struggling personally but making an effort to help others, especially kids. March 20 will be the six-month anniversary of the storm and they are still working to rebuild their lives and communities. Here are some of the people who are making a difference."

The Puerto Rican government wants to make big changes to the island's public school systems, including allowing charter schools. But critics say officials want to privatize the system, using the chaos after Hurricane Maria as an excuse.

A study published Thursday in the Journal of Adolescent Health said that U.S. immigration policies have led to psychological distress for many Latino parents, even parents who have legal status in the country.

Nearly 80 percent of educators report having students who have experienced emotional or behavioral problems because they are concerned about immigration enforcement, according to a new national survey from the Civil Rights Project at the University of California, Los Angeles. Overall, 84 percent of educators who participated in the survey said they have students who are concerned about immigration enforcement, with 36 percent of them reporting that students felt "nearly overwhelmed by fear and worry."

In a dramatic reversal that has angered Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office, Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has turned down a job as head of New York City schools. Carvalho had already privately accepted the job as New York City schools chancellor, which would have made him chief of the nation’s largest school system. Then, after a three-hour meeting in which School Board members, students and members of the public lavished Carvalho with praise, the superintendent appeared to have a change of heart.

What are the secrets to Canada's success in educating immigrant students? Education Week's Kavitha Cardoza visited Toronto to find out.