Which landmark ruling allows all children to a K-12 education regardless of immigration status?

• A. Brown v. Board of Education
• B. Goss v. Lopez
• C. Tinker v. Des Moines
• D. Plyler v. Doe

Answer: (D)

Access to public schooling for all children within a state is protected by the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, and Plyler v. Doe specifically applies that protection to immigration status. The Supreme Court ruled that denying or withholding a free public education from children who are undocumented creates an unfair, anti-immigrant class and undermines the goal of universal education. Because education is a fundamental interest, the state cannot discriminate based on immigration status when providing K-12 schooling. In short, this ruling ensures every child has access to a public education regardless of how they came to be in the country. For broader context, the other cases deal with different student rights—desegregation, due process in suspensions, and student speech—not immigration status.