The following statement is from Jessica Azua, Immigration Justice Director with Texas Organizing Project (TOP) in response to a federal judge ruling last week that the University of North Texas can’t charge out-of-state students more tuition than undocumented students:
“Right-wing hardliners in our state have spent years trying to dismantle the Texas Dream Act of 2001 through legislation, only to be shut down session after session. These same hardliners are now weaponizing our courts to attack the livelihoods of Texas Dreamers who have lived in and contributed to our state for years, all to advance an anti-immigrant agenda.
“This insidious strategy didn’t appear out of thin air. The groundwork for it was laid by former President Trump, whose violent, anti-immigrant rhetoric has now been fully embraced by today’s Republican Party.
“Last week’s ruling from a Trump-appointed judge makes clear that the plaintiffs in this case couldn’t care less about the tuition amount paid by out-of-state students; the plaintiffs solely have their sights set on tearing down a bipartisan common-sense policy that has benefited thousands of Texas immigrant households and our state’s economy for over two decades.”
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Texas Organizing Project organizes Black and Latino communities in Dallas, Harris, Bexar, and Fort Bend counties with the goal of transforming Texas into a state where working people of color have the power and representation they deserve. For more information, visit organizetexas.org.
This statement was sent out April 14, 2022.