The American Immigration Council doesn’t endorse or oppose candidates for elected workplace. We goal to supply evaluation concerning the implications of the election on the U.S. immigration system.
Texas leaders can not maintain legislating immigration coverage from a spot of political posturing and profound misunderstanding. Earlier than drafting new legal guidelines—or undoing long-standing ones—they need to first grasp the basics of how our immigration system works and who it impacts.
On June 4, 2025, the U.S. Division of Justice filed a lawsuit to invalidate the Texas Dream Act, a bipartisan legislation that has allowed sure undocumented college students to pay in-state tuition since 2001. Slightly than defend the coverage, the Texas Lawyer Basic joined the DOJ in searching for to strike it down.
By day’s finish, Texas entered a joint movement with the DOJ, and a federal courtroom issued a everlasting injunction. Governor Greg Abbott proudly declared the tip of in-state tuition for undocumented college students, and the Lawyer Basic referred to as it a win. However Texas didn’t win something. State leaders invited federal intervention, ignored the desire of the Texas legislature, and handed Washington management over how Texas runs its public faculties and universities. The message to hardworking college students and households was clear: your efforts don’t matter.
Let’s be clear. This wasn’t a battle. It was a give up.
As an alternative of supporting a coverage that has benefitted the state of Texas for greater than twenty years, Texas walked away. It didn’t simply abandon a statute; it deserted college students, values, and a aggressive financial future.
These college students aren’t criminals. They’re the very best and brightest Texas has to supply. Many had been introduced right here as youngsters, they’ve grown up in our faculties and communities. The Texas Dream Act doesn’t give them a free trip. It requires commencement from a Texas highschool and a signed affidavit affirming intent to legalize their standing when eligible. These are the younger folks we ought to be investing in—not excluding.
This wasn’t an remoted incident. Far too usually, lawmakers toss out traces like, “Why don’t they get in line?” or “Why don’t they arrive the appropriate means?” as if these choices exist. They don’t. These myths gasoline unhealthy coverage and fear-driven rhetoric.
And so they come at a price. On June 4, Texas paid that value. The Lawyer Basic—usually desirous to problem federal authority—as an alternative capitulated to DOJ, giving up a state-led coverage he ought to have defended.
9% of Texas’s workforce is undocumented. Greater than 11% of the state’s U.S. citizen youngsters have no less than one undocumented dad or mum. In Houston, undocumented employees make up practically a 3rd of the development workforce. As hurricane season begins, these are the folks rebuilding our communities. They deserve respect, not scapegoating.
Of all states, Texas ought to be main on this challenge. Our leaders ought to be on the forefront—rejecting anti-immigrant tropes, acknowledging that our immigration system wants reform, and advancing actual options grounded in truth. When immigration debates are pushed by rhetoric as an alternative of actuality, it’s not simply undocumented people who find themselves harmed. It’s all immigrants—and finally, all Texans.
Misunderstanding the System, Misrepresenting the Folks
Texas lawmakers have proven a troubling sample: not solely do many lack a transparent understanding of the immigration system, in addition they underestimate the hurt attributable to their insurance policies.
Throughout the 2025 Home debate on Senate Invoice 17, a shocking misunderstanding of immigration classes got here to mild. The invoice—meant to limit land purchases by hostile international governments—was written so broadly that it might have affected folks within the U.S. legally, together with worldwide college students, engineers, and researchers.
When this concern was raised, the invoice’s writer argued—incorrectly—that visa holders are lawful everlasting residents and insisted they wouldn’t be impacted. He doubled down on this declare in a back-and-forth with one other lawmaker, an legal professional and immigrant himself, who tried to clarify the distinction. It was a placing second that exposed how little some lawmakers perceive concerning the authorized classes they’re legislating.
Visa holders and lawful everlasting residents usually are not the identical: lawful everlasting residents have everlasting standing and might ultimately apply for citizenship, whereas visa holders are right here briefly and infrequently don’t have any assured path to remain.
Complicated the 2 shouldn’t be a small mistake and is unacceptable for lawmakers to make up to now into the legislative course of. It results in broad insurance policies that hurt the very folks Texas is dependent upon.. As written, SB 17 might have important penalties for Texas, threatening lawful residents primarily based on imprecise and overly broad standards.
When lawmakers don’t perceive what they’re legislating, Texans lose.
From Resulting in Yielding
Simply weeks in the past, the Texas Dream Act survived the legislative session as a result of lawmakers led. Enterprise leaders, educators, and advocates made the case that the coverage works—and legislators listened.
Now, and not using a single vote, that victory has been undone by the very officers sworn to uphold the legislation.
Texas didn’t simply again down; in a transfer that was so opposite to its impartial spirit, it invited the federal authorities to take the reins.
Wouldn’t or not it’s refreshing if our leaders as an alternative took a cue from President George W. Bush, who as soon as mentioned:
“America is usually a lawful society and a welcoming society on the identical time. As our nation debates the right plan of action on immigration reform, I hope we achieve this with a benevolent spirit and take note the contributions of immigrants.”
There is no such thing as a path to common sense immigration coverage if our leaders proceed to pander and fearmonger for short-term political acquire and essentially misunderstand the difficulty. We’d like lawmakers who’re prepared to observe President Bush’s lead: to strategy immigration with benevolence, floor their positions in truth, take heed to specialists, and legislate with fact—not ignorance.
FILED UNDER: Texas
