Ryan Walters (pictured above) says it is "very common sense."
"We're going to make sure that we're getting the proper information from parents across the state over where a child came from, what is their nation of origin, their birth certificate – things like that to make sure that we have an understanding of how many illegal immigrants are in our schools," he tells AFN.
The state superintendent says Oklahoma is seeing "an influx of thousands of illegal immigrants" that has cost it a minimum of $474 million.
"We're trying to get that under control and figure out how we can continue to make sure that our tutoring programs, our literacy initiatives, our math resources are getting what they need and aren't getting stretched thin by the chaos that illegal immigration has brought to our schools," Walters relays.
Critics, however, claim Oklahoma's actions are not legal.
The Associated Press also points out that "a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1982 affirmed the right of children living in the country illegally to attend public schools."
Walters is among those who question whether immigrants without legal residency should have the right to a public education.
"That Plyer v. Doe decision is a joke that needs to be revisited by the Supreme Court," he insists. "It's not a law; it did not pass through Congress. It's just what the Supreme Court said in 1982."
He adds that students are not being rejecting; parents for merely being asked for information so that Oklahoma can understand "the impact illegal immigration is having on our schools" and ensure that the state's education resource decisions are benefiting Oklahoma children.
"Our citizens have a lot of concern that the needs of illegal immigrants are getting put in front of their kids," Walters relays. "We've got to make sure that we're accounting for this, that we understand the size of the problem so we can start solving it."
