Prairie State Wire

Adam Niemerg, Illinois State Representative for District 102, said that changes to legislative rules enabled the passage of a bill offering public education to undocumented students. The statement was made on X.

"Democrats change house rules in order to pass FREE public education for ILLEGALS," said Adam M. Niemerg, State Representative for 102nd District (R).

Illinois House Bill 3247, introduced in 2025, aims to safeguard immigrant students' access to public education by prohibiting schools from denying enrollment based on a child's or guardian's immigration status. According to LegiScan, the bill also mandates that schools develop procedures for handling law enforcement requests by July 2026 and allows civil lawsuits against school districts for noncompliance. Supporters argue it reinforces constitutional protections, while opponents, including some Republican lawmakers, have raised concerns over its legal and fiscal implications.

As of April 2024, Chicago Public Schools reported enrolling about 8,900 newly arrived migrant students. State officials estimate that over 17,000 students statewide qualify under immigrant education provisions. According to Chalkbeat Chicago, this growth marks the first overall enrollment increase in the city's public schools in more than a decade. The influx of undocumented and asylum-seeking students has prompted ongoing adjustments in staffing, curriculum, and bilingual services.

According to a 2024 analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation, undocumented student enrollment can affect school funding, particularly in states like Illinois that rely partially on attendance-based models. Increased immigration enforcement may cause fear-driven absenteeism, leading to reduced financial allocations under per-pupil funding formulas. The report emphasized that schools with high numbers of undocumented students may face both higher support costs and greater fiscal uncertainty.

Niemerg is a Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives serving the 102nd District, which includes parts of southeastern Illinois. According to the Illinois General Assembly’s website, Niemerg was elected in 2021 and previously worked as a claims adjuster after earning a degree in history from Eastern Illinois University. He advocates for conservative policies, particularly on education, immigration, and state spending and has opposed legislation expanding services to undocumented residents.