Undocumented Student Enrollment In California Schools Takes A Nosedive

Authored by Bryan Hyde via American Greatness,

New immigrant and undocumented student enrollment has dropped sharply in California schools and public universities, driven by decreased border crossings and increased federal immigration enforcement.

Breitbart reports that the major drop in the number of kids of illegal migrants enrolled in California’s schools is saving the state millions in education budget dollars.

The number of “newcomer” students born outside the U.S. who have been enrolled for 3 years or fewer has dropped from a record high of 236,958 in 2024-25 to 228,780 in 2025-26, with further declines anticipated.

New immigrant student enrollment has taken a nosedive in California schools

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— EdSource (@EdSource) October 19, 2026

From 2017 to 2024, the Oakland Unified School District took in an average of 1,300 extra so-called “newcomer” students each year.

However, in 2025 the district only saw 498 “newcomers” enter the schools, and this year that number fell to 212, forcing the district to close almost two-thirds of its newcomer programs, according to EdSource.

L.A. schools recorded a drop of 46.5 percent in “newcomer” students, and San Juan Unified lost 13.6 percent of their “newcomer” students.

The decline has also impacted higher education within the University of California system as undocumented student enrollment backed by state financial aid dropped by 51 percent, falling from 1,181 to 579 students, according to Georgetown University.

California State University reports undocumented student enrollment receiving state aid fell by 48 percent, dropping from 2,219 to 1,148 students, influenced by restrictions on DACA and labor market exclusions.

Lower rates of cross-border migration have directly reduced the pipeline of newly arriving school-age children and the amount of education dollars directed at “newcomers” will necessarily see huge cuts in funding over the next few years.

Due to declining enrollment numbers, the infrastructure and administrators for these programs will also become unnecessary and the taxpayers will not have to direct as much money into school budgets.

Sam Finn, executive director of the California Newcomer Network told EdSource, “We’re about to reach a cliff where we’ll have had a couple years without significant entries.”

Other contributing factors to the decline include federal policy changes and heightened immigration operations which have led families to avoid public spaces or relocate, compounding pre-existing statewide trends like falling birth rates and high housing costs.