Over the last year, Republicans in the Lone Star State have put into place a number of regulations and made a series of legal changes that have, according to liberals in Texas, interrupted multiple facets of life for illegal aliens working and going to school in the red state. Limitations have been placed on who can get an occupational license; register or purchase a vehicle; obtain commercial driver’s licenses; and get in-state tuition for local colleges and universities.
Democrats are claiming these changes have negatively impacted 1.7 million individuals who have entered the country without legal permission, along with thousands of refugees and individuals who qualified for protected status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Over 6,400 refugees and DACA recipients have thus far lost their commercial driver’s licenses, which conservatives say has made streets safer in the wake of several deadly accidents across the country caused by illegal alien truck drivers who couldn’t read road signs.
Other illegal immigrants are expected to lose their ability to work in industries that require employees to be licensed, such as construction, medicine, air conditioning, and even cosmetology. Immigration attorneys and left-wing advocates claim the new rules are causing a lot of fear among illegal aliens who are currently living in Texas.
“These all represent a broader and more coordinated shift … to create a pipeline of exclusion that stretches from limiting access to K-12 education, all the way into participation in the workforce and basic mobility through the state,” Corinne Kentor with the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration went on to say, according to The Texas Tribune.
However, Texas Republicans say that’s exactly the point of the new rules. The report claims that the GOP once worked to ensure illegal immigrant students had access to higher education and formerly stood against the idea of mass deportations, but is now combing through decades of law and policy to undo these benefits, rendering the Lone Star State inhospitable for those who do not have legal authority to reside in the United States.
The Texas Tribune then said, “The Biden-era immigration surge, President Donald Trump’s brazen immigration crackdown and a contentious election season are pushing state leaders to pursue policies once seen as too extreme within the party. And there’s more to come: Some Texas elected officials want to take aim next at Plyler v. Doe, a landmark 1982 Supreme Court ruling that requires public schools to educate undocumented students.”
“Benefits, licenses, and taxpayer-funded services should not be used to incentivize unlawful presence at the expense of hardworking Texans,” Andrew Mahaleris, a spokesperson for Gov. Greg Abbott, went on to say in a statement. “These steps ensure compliance with federal law, protect the integrity of our systems, and prioritize jobs and resources for legal residents and citizens.”
"*" indicates required fields
Democratic lawmakers and advocates thought they were in the clear when a bill designed to revoke in-state tuition from illegal alien students stalled during the last session, leading many to believe the 2001 law would be left in place for the following two years. However, several days later, Attorney General Ken Paxton partnered with the Justice Department to overturn the law.
In order to qualify for in-state tuition, college students must now prove they are “lawfully present” in the U.S. GOP lawmakers were thrilled with the decision, saying the law being overturned was a step forward in ensuring “every Texas tax dollar is deployed for the greatest benefit.” A Republican, speaking anonymously, said that Republicans don’t want to take away educational opportunities for the children of illegal immigrants, preferring that the federal government deport the family instead.
“Nobody in the mainstream of the Republican caucus wants to take away educational opportunities from the children of illegal immigrants, who through no fault to their own were brought into the United States,” the Republican went on to say. “What we would prefer is for the federal government to deport the family, or, if they don’t, then pay for the education.”
We have started a history-focused video channel! If you are interested in history, check out this video on colonial America and the founding of Virginia that we just released and are super excited about: