Massachusetts Sees Significant Drop in Immigrant Student Enrollment

President Donald Trump’s immigration policies have led to a notable decline in the enrollment of immigrant students in Massachusetts high schools, decreasing by over 20 percent.

This information stems from a study conducted by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, which analyzed data from the 2007-2008 school year up to 2024-2025.

Statistics indicate that high school enrollment for immigrant students peaked at 6,400 in 2024 but fell to 5,300 last year.

Despite the drop in enrollment, Massachusetts schools are still managing to graduate many immigrant students who struggle with English fluency.

“This situation is changing so rapidly that school districts feel like they are constantly lagging behind the needs of immigrant students,” remarked Ann Mantil, a researcher from the Annenberg Institute, as reported by the Boston Globe.

The report highlights that only 6 percent of high school freshmen with poor English skills graduate fluent in the language. Mostly, children entering the state’s schools without English proficiency fail to achieve those basic skills by graduation.

It’s not just high schoolers facing challenges with English. According to the Boston Herald, around half of middle schoolers in Massachusetts do not meet grade-level literacy benchmarks, affecting both immigrant and non-immigrant students alike.

The findings point to an EdTrust report which reveals that nearly 150,000 students statewide are performing below grade-level standards. This includes students of all backgrounds, although disparities persist between different ethnic groups, particularly between white and Asian students and their peers from other backgrounds.

The largest gaps in literacy are found among multilingual learners, with 65% to 75% in grades 6-8 and 10 not meeting expectations, according to the report.

Looking ahead, the enrollment of non-native English speakers appears to be declining, which may contribute to a leveling out of these gaps.

As the immigrant population decreases, education funding dedicated to these students might also face cuts. Following the influx of uneducated immigrants during President Joe Biden’s administration, many school systems had to boost their budgets to accommodate new needs, although some officials are now looking for ways to redirect tax dollars to struggling schools.