Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters is requesting $474 million from the federal government, which he says reflects the cost of educating undocumented immigrants in Oklahoma’s public schools. Citing data from several national sources, Walters argues that the influx of migrant students strains state resources and taxpayer dollars.

“One of the biggest problems facing Oklahoma — or schools across the country, frankly — is illegal immigrants coming across the border, tapping the resources of taxpayers and stretching everything thin,” Walters said.

A recent social media post by the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) outlined the figures behind the request:

1. From 2021 to 2023, Oklahoma received 3,000 unaccompanied migrant children, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
2. The state currently has over 6,000 students with limited English proficiency, as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics.
3. The estimated cost of educating undocumented students, at $474.9 million, was calculated based on data from the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a D.C.-based lobbying organization.

Some Oklahoma lawmakers question the reliability of these national figures. Rep. Cyndi Munson, (D-OKC), urged Walters to prioritize state-specific data.

“The state superintendent should be using state resources, and he should have staff within his agency that is pulling together the most accurate data when it comes to educating our kids,” Munson said.

Walters contends that due to limited federal data, he used state-level information where possible to verify national estimates. “We went and looked at students who did not have a country of origin that they would say, spoke English as a second language, and moved here within the year,” he said.

Munson criticized the approach as “attacking children instead of protecting them, instead of supporting them, instead of educating them.”

The federal government has not yet responded to the request. Under a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, all children, regardless of immigration status, are entitled to a free public education.