06/15/2026
On June 15, 1982, in the landmark Plyler v. Doe decision, the Supreme Court affirmed a fundamental principle: all children in the U.S. have a constitutional right to access a free public K-12 education, and states cannot deny that access to children on account of their immigration status.
Plyler has since become a bedrock principle of educational access, ensuring schools remain spaces of care and learning, not discrimination based on immigration status.
The Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law served as lead counsel in Plyler v. Doe. We are proud of our organization’s history of successfully litigating this case before the Supreme Court alongside other committed partners.
On the anniversary of this decision, Plyler reminds us that the fight for equal access to education in the 1970s is inseparable from present-day movements for immigrant justice, dignity, and full inclusion.
