Washington (CNN) Education Secretary Betsy DeVos faced backlash from civil rights groups after she told members of Congress on Tuesday that she believed schools can decide whether or not to report undocumented students to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officials.

The groups say DeVos's comments would violate the Constitution, pointing to the 1982 Supreme Court decision, Plyler v. Doe, which found that K-12 schools can't deny students access to public education based on their immigration status.

DeVos said on Tuesday that she believed the choice was up to schools and local communities whether principals and teachers had the responsibility to call ICE if they learned a student or a student's family members were undocumented.

"Sir, I think that's a school decision, it's a local community decision," DeVos said during a House Committee on Education and the Workforce Hearing, as Rep. Adriano Espaillat, a New York Democrat, pressed her for her views on the issue. "Again, I refer to the fact that we have laws and we are also compassionate. I urge this body to do its job and address and clarify where there is confusion around this."

But civil rights groups said that would be unconstitutional.

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