Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona addressed the House Education Committee on the 2025 budget request, laying out the department's priorities and policies. Representative Aaron Bean (R-FL) took the opportunity to ask and admonish Sec. Cardona about the large number of illegal immigrants overwhelming American schools.
Rep. Bean began by highlighting Sec. Cardona's career in education and asking if, as an educator, he would agree that strategic planning is crucial in managing unexpected situations like the influx of students.
"So would you agree then, when I hear from school districts of how hard it has been, the massive influx of illegal immigrants into our school system, would you agree that is real, that they are having a hard time managing all these influx of students that they did not know were coming?" Rep. Bean asked.
Cardona replied that, as a former principal, he would consider planning for new students. The Florida Congressman then asked Cardona if he knew how many illegal immigrants were entering the school system, which he could not answer.
"Do you have any idea? Is it in the millions? Is it in the hundreds of thousands? Do you have a general idea?" Bean continued, adding that he could not find an answer either, but Cardona should at least be able to say if "there is a number in the future that you would say, 'We just cannot take anymore?'"
Cardona replied, "As educators, it is really important that we meet the needs of our students," which Bean took as "there is no number," asking if he knew how many schools have been shut down or partially shut down to accommodate illegal immigrants.
While the Florida Congressman admitted he could not verify the number himself, "One would be too many for those students that have to do that. So that is something to be aware of. That is when I hear our educators. We have a lot of struggles with numbers right now."
Bean concluded that "our numbers since COVID have plummeted, and so we got work to do."
