A Texas State Representative has taken a bold move by introducing House Bill 160, which would prohibit illegal immigrants from receiving in-state tuition at Texas’ public colleges and universities.
Members of the Texas Legislature have declared that it is time for significant action after years of disregard for this crucial issue.
“Today, I am proud to announce the filing of HB 160, the first bill filed for this upcoming legislative session, to end in-state tuition for illegal immigrants,” State Rep. Terri Willson told a Texas Scorecard reporter.
“This legislation is a top priority of the Texas GOP, and it honors the message Texas voters delivered when they elected me and other like-minded conservatives to the Texas House.”
According to the Houston Chronicle, Texas law extends this privilege to qualified DACA recipients.
DACA beneficiaries are migrants who arrived in the United States as children and meet the criteria for deferring deportation from the country. They are also eligible to acquire work authorization, but they must first obtain legal status.
According to the Higher Education Immigration Portal, there were around 59,000 undocumented students, 20,000 DACA-eligible students, and 27,000 non-DACA-eligible students enrolled in higher education in August.
Similar Legislation Filed
Wilson introduced a related bill in 2023, but it never made it out of committee. Texas’ public colleges and universities have the authority to offer lower tuition prices to state residents, with the state covering the rest through taxpayer subsidies. This method tries to encourage students to continue their postsecondary education locally.
Rep. Terri Leo Wilson (R-Galveston) introduced House Bill 160, which would also mandate universities to inform campus police departments or appropriate local law enforcement authorities about a person’s legal status.
The Huffines Institute conducted research in 2001 and found that Texas made history by being the first state to implement legislation that allowed undocumented migrants to qualify for in-state tuition. This pioneering move prompted another two dozen states to pass similar legislation.
President Joe Biden is involved in a bitterly contested litigation in which his government is vigorously defending DACA by appealing a Texas district court finding that the program is illegal.
However, when President-elect Trump takes office in 2025, he can order the Justice Department to dismiss the appeal, essentially terminating DACA.
On the other hand, if court action delays the Trump administration’s decision to cancel the DACA program immediately, any migrants living in the United States who want to apply for it must first recognize their unlawful status in the application. This helps the government to establish that DACA recipients are deportable, and it also offers information on migrants’ living locations.
According to news reports, more than 59,000 illegal aliens have registered in schools and institutions across Texas.
“Texans have spoken clearly: they want their taxpayer dollars safeguarded for lawful citizens. I am committed to carrying out this much-needed reform while working alongside my colleagues to uphold the values Texans expect,” explained Wilson.
Here are the extra bills filed on Tuesday, November 12.
- Rep. Jared Patterson (R-Frisco) filed to ban social media accounts for those under the age of 18
- Rep. Armando Walle (D-Houston) filed to increase the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour, up from $7.25
- Sen. Judith Zaffrini (D-Laredo) filed 38 bills Tuesday morning, including legislation to provide free full-time pre-K for certain students
- Senate Bill 64 seeks to keep Daylight Savings Time year-round