After an Alabama judge ruled Wednesday that studentsâÄô immigration statuses must be verified in order to attend school, thousands of Hispanic families have fled from the state. This outrageous law must go. It marks a shameful decision in U.S. history, and it has already caused sweeping damage to communities throughout the state.

The law goes beyond just political quarrels; it has changed the course of human lives. Children are being pulled out of school, out of their homes and neighborhoods, and trekked to anywhere but Alabama. Superintendents around the state have noticed attendance of Hispanic students is down about 5 percent already.

An education is crucial to oneâÄôs success in life, and stripping that necessity from children âÄî solely because of their original home âÄî is heresy. The U.S. is meant to be a place that values education and human rights, not exclusion and discrimination.

Meanwhile, California recently passed the DREAM Act, which allows illegal immigrants to receive state and institutional financial aid at universities in the state. This is a far better approach to the intersection of immigration and education. Whereas Alabama is driving people from its state through counterproductive and heartless legislation, California is treating all of its residents like the members of their community and contributors to society that they are.

SomeoneâÄôs legal immigration status should not determine whether he or she can get an education, especially if that person was brought to America illegally through no fault of his or her own. Rather than driving out contributing members of society, we should treat them humanely and invest in them so they can continue to make our country better.