Austin, Texas– Yesterday, in a deeply unpopular and destructive decision, Texas abruptly ended a decades-long law of ensuring equal access to public colleges and universities for students regardless of immigration status. This decision will have catastrophic consequences across the state, from weakening the state’s workforce and economy –costing an estimated $460 million a year in lost wages– to stripping thousands of Texan students of an affordable path to higher education, many of whom have grown up in the state and call Texas home.
In response to this news, United We Dream released the following statement:
“The decision by Texas leaders to end a 24 year old law in the middle of the night goes against what the vast majority of Texas support: affordable and fair access to college for all students. This follows other cruel decisions in the state, including ICE going into K-12 schools and the detention of a 4th grader outside of the Houston courthouses. Yesterday’s decision is the latest in attacks against students who have grown up in Texas and call this state home.
Make no mistake: Texans will continue to show up for our students in every way we can. Robbing students of their freedom to learn simply because of their immigration status is not just morally wrong—it means that students who are currently enrolled, studying hard, attending lectures, and contributing meaningfully to campus life will be forced out of the classrooms they’ve been a part of for years—resulting in empty seats, disrupted futures, and a state that turns it back on the very people who power it forward.
Students across Texas are who power our state and make families, businesses and our future stronger. This moment demands we come together as teachers, as students, as Texans, to reject hate and fight for a future where every young person has the opportunity to succeed.”
