Segregation de facto is when one faction separates themselves from another out of choice rather than by segregation de jure, which is when the separation is enforced by rule of law.

De jure segregation is created by laws; de facto segregation is created by social conditions.

Today, de facto segregation is enforced by socioeconomic status, which affects educational and employment opportunities.

De jure segregation is a separation that is enforced by rule of law, such as pre-civil rights laws that mandated that persons of color sit in separate areas or use differing facilities. The landmark Supreme Court ruling, Brown v Board of Education highlighted the importance of the distinction between defacto segregation, which is segregation by personal preference, and de jure segregation.

For the most part, it was not de jure (i.e, a matter of law) but de facto (a matter of fact).

De Jure Segregation is racial separation which is forced by specific laws. De facto segregation is generally caused by socioeconomic conditions, not by statute.