The number of new immigrant students attending California schools continues to decline, so much so that in some districts it's resulted in shuttered programs and staff reassignments.
EdSource reports across California, the number of new immigrant students or "newcomers" in their first three years in the U.S. has fallen sharply over the past two years. The drop follows an abrupt decrease in border crossings in early 2025 amid changes in federal immigration policy.
The decline has been particularly pronounced in some large urban districts already reeling from years of enrollment losses.
In Oakland Unified, more than 1,300 new students arrived each year from other countries from 2017-18 to 2024-25, with the exception of 2020-21 during the pandemic. In 2025-26, about 500 immigrant students enrolled for their first year.
This school year, only 212 new immigrant students had enrolled for the first time as of Oct. 7. Most of them are elementary students.
The district reduced the number of middle and high schools offering newcomer services and classes due to declining enrollment.
