Protesters Gather As State Superintendent Ryan Walters Visits Carnegie Elementary in Tulsa

Protestors gathered to make their voices heard during State Superintendent Ryan Walters's visit to Carnegie Elementary this morning.

Neither Tulsa Public nor the Oklahoma Department of Education have officially commented on the nature of Walters' visit.

Many of the protestors were holding signs critical of Walters's recent push to obtain students' immigration status. Just this week, the State School Board approved a new rule that would require families to provide immigration documents when they enroll their student in an Oklahoma school.

Walters said this would allow the state to “gather data” on how many children of undocumented immigrants are in Oklahoma schools and that the information would not be used to deny access. During the board meeting, Walters and the board members suggested that they could share that information with law enforcement or the federal government if requested. Walters had previously said he would enforce President Donald Trump's executive order to allow immigration agents into schools.

Legal experts say a school does not have to let immigration agents inside unless they have a search warrant signed by a judge. Under current federal law, schools are not permitted to cannot share sensitive personal information of students or parents without a judicial order or subpoena. While individual districts may request certain information from families for records and contact purposes, currently, the state's enrollment requirements a birth certificate, immunization records, proof of residency, and valid photo identification.