“U.S. Warns Schools Against Checking Immigration Status” is the headline of a New York Times article this morning. Here’s how it begins:

Federal officials issued a memorandum to the nation’s school districts on Friday saying it was against the law for education officials to seek information that might reveal the immigration status of children applying for enrollment.

Civil liberties advocates and others have complained in recent months that many school districts are seeking children’s immigration papers as a prerequisite for enrollment. Some state and local officials have also considered bills to require prospective students to reveal their citizenship or immigration status.

It was clearly necessary for the federal government to issue this memorandum. And that is sad….