Concerns over El Paso student data release to state comptroller

Automatically translated from Spanish. Read the original in Spanish

The El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) recently provided the Texas Comptroller’s Office with detailed records regarding the number of enrolled students using a Social Security number versus those using a state-approved alternative identification number. This action has raised concerns about the potential use of this data to identify undocumented students. Leah Hanany, president of the EPISD board, confirmed the delivery of the documents requested by the comptroller, though she clarified that such information alone does not allow for the determination of students’ immigration status, as districts assign alternative numbers when families do not provide a Social Security number.

Hanany noted that while there appears to be an attempt to distinguish which children have a Social Security number and which do not, this is impossible to verify with certainty, as anyone can register their child using an alternative number. For his part, State Representative Vince Perez, of El Paso, reported that Comptroller Don Huffines’ office requested this data, instructing the district not to include information that would personally identify the students. EPISD is one of 4 districts currently being reviewed by the Comptroller’s Office, following a request from Governor Greg Abbott to investigate whether state funds are effectively being directed to classrooms rather than administrative expenses.

Perez questioned the relevance of this request, arguing that a Social Security number is not a requirement to attend school in Texas and that the alternative identification number reveals nothing about a minor’s immigration status. The representative pointed out that the EPISD financial review was used as a pretext to collect documents unrelated to the district’s operational and economic management. Among Huffines’ additional requests were budgets, payrolls, contracts, an electronic copy of the school library catalog, and board policies regarding parent complaints about the human sexuality curriculum.

Legislator Vince Perez filed a public records request to learn the full scope of the comptroller’s review and the documents provided. He was joined in this effort by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the Save Our School Coalition, a grassroots organization that protested the closure of several EPISD schools in 2025. Perez, who is seeking reelection for House District 77 in the November 3 general election, recalled that on October 12 he sent a letter to Huffines with a 14-day deadline to respond regarding the criteria for selecting the district for this audit, without having received a response to date.

When asked about the possible motivations behind this review, Perez cited a 2025 CBS interview where Huffines suggested that undocumented students should return to their countries. The representative also recalled Huffines’ record, noting that in 2017, when he was a state senator, he introduced a failed bill to certify the cost of educational services for individuals without legal presence in the country. Likewise, Perez mentioned that in 2023, a foundation led by Huffines recommended requiring proof of citizenship from students and parents, in addition to counting non-citizen students.

It is important to remember that, under the 1983 United States Supreme Court decision in the case of Plyler v. Doe, states are prohibited from denying access to public education to children based on their immigration status. For its part, the Comptroller’s Office visited the district this week without prior notice, arriving on Monday and departing on Thursday at noon. Desiree Serna, of Texas LULAC, emphasized that their goal is not to obstruct legitimate financial oversight, but to demand that it be carried out transparently and without compromising the rights of families.

Comptroller Don Huffines, in a statement regarding the investigations, maintained that they seek to determine whether district spending complies with state law and benefits students and teachers. Meanwhile, EPISD did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the records provided, although it announced it would offer more details in a press conference. This news report is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license.