Southern Illinois News

Blaine Wilhour, Illinois State Representative for District 107, said Democrats are prioritizing undocumented immigrants over citizens in the debate over public school access. The statement was made on X.

"Every Democrat in power keeps putting illegals ahead of YOU," said Blaine Jacob Wilhour, State Representative for 107th District (R).

Illinois House Bill 3247, introduced in the 104th General Assembly, proposes amendments to the School Code to prohibit denying any child access to free public education through secondary school based on their or their parent’s immigration status. The bill also forbids school officials from detaining individuals solely on the basis of immigration detainers or federal requests. This legislative effort echoes the precedent set by the U.S. Supreme Court in Plyler v. Doe (1982), which affirmed the right to education for undocumented children. According to the Illinois General Assembly’s official site, HB 3247 remains under committee review.

According to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal, an estimated 120,000 undocumented students are currently enrolled in Illinois K-12 public schools. Many of these students do not qualify for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and face obstacles such as exclusion from federal financial aid and, in some districts, elevated tuition rates. HB 3247 aims to reinforce educational protections and prevent discriminatory barriers for this population. This data underscores the bill’s potential impact on tens of thousands of students statewide.

A 2023 comparison by the Higher Ed Immigration Portal shows that while Illinois supports undocumented students with access to in-state tuition and state aid, neighboring Midwestern states remain more restrictive. For example, Indiana bars undocumented students from in-state tuition, and Missouri prohibits enrollment in certain public colleges. These state-level disparities reflect diverging political and legal approaches to undocumented students' education access in the region.

Wilhour is a Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives serving the 110th District since 2019, which includes parts of Bond, Clay, Clinton, and Effingham counties. According to his official Illinois General Assembly biography, Wilhour has prioritized fiscal conservatism and strong opposition to sanctuary state policies. He has publicly criticized legislation like HB 3247, arguing it undermines immigration enforcement and public safety.