Plyler v. Doe's decision rests on which constitutional provision?

• A. First Amendment
• B. Tenth Amendment
• C. Fourteenth Amendment equal protection clause
• D. Fifth Amendment

Answer: (C)

The decision rests on the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court struck down Texas’s law because it treated undocumented children as a separate class and denied them equal access to public education, punishing them for factors beyond their control. The ruling emphasizes that denying education to a class of children cannot be justified under equal protection, since it harms both the individuals and society by limiting future opportunities. The other amendments cited don’t address this issue: the First Amendment protects speech and religion, the Tenth covers states’ reserved powers, and the Fifth deals with federal due process; none specifically targets state action that discriminates in access to education based on immigration status.