The American Council of Immigration does not approve or oppose candidates for elected offices. We aim to provide an analysis of the impact of elections on the US immigration system.
In a legislative session characterized by political spheres and increasingly polarized rhetoric, the Texas dream act endured. The winner confirms that all Texas High School graduates will continue to have access to higher education regardless of their immigration status.
Despite nine separate bills introduced to repeal this Landmark 2001 law, including HB 232 and SB 1798, not one passed during the 89th Texas Legislature. SB 1798 went all the way to the Senate intentional calendar, signaling how close Texas was to end two decades of bipartisan progress. But due to tireless efforts from business, education, community and faith leaders across the state, the bill never reached the floor.
This outcome is more than a policy victory. It is about reaffirming that Texans will guide facts and build a more powerful and prosperous future, not with fear, not with politics.
Working policies
The Texas Dream Act allows undocumented high school graduates to access in-state tuition fees at public universities and universities. To qualify, students must have lived in Texas for at least three years. He has signed an affidavit declaring his intention to graduate from high school in Texas, or earn a GED and apply for legal residency.
This is a practical, homemade solution that stands the test of time. Since its passing in 2001, Texas has been a national leader on tuition equity, with 24 other states and DC adopting similar policies. This is not just good policy, it is good economics. In 2021 alone, Texas Dream Act students, known as “sold-in-law students,” charged $81.6 million in tuition and handling fees from Texas public institutions. Repealing the law would cost an estimated $461 million per year in losses in economic activity.
As one former affidavit student appropriately said:
“Policies like the Texas Dream Act are more than a line of law. They are lifelines. They are blueprints for possibilities. And please be happy to see the wholeness of the broken ones.
Uniform opposition from Texans who know what is at stake
When HB 232 and SB 1798 received this session, business leaders responded quickly and clearly. The Texas Association (TAB), Greater Houston Partnership, North Texas Committee, Texas Business Leadership Council, Texans For Economic Growth, and dozens of local chambers and businesses have signed opposition letters rooted in the workforce and economic debate.
On the other hand, the public response was overwhelming. 97% of Texans who submitted comments to the House Committee on Higher Education opposed HB 232.
“The biggest assets in Texas are those people. When we invest in people who want to contribute to our economy, everyone benefits.”
This coordinated engagement made a difference. Legislators across the political spectrum hear from stakeholders who often don’t squeeze immigration debates, such as employers, educators, voices of faith, and community leaders. It reminded them that the dream act was not a partisan wedge, but a practical investment in Texas’ economic future.
Provisional momentum
We must remain vigilant when we celebrate this victory. These abolition efforts have failed, but they have made it even more than they had in the past few years. And, annoyingly, two additional senators signed as co-authors on May 26, even after the House deadline revealed that SB 1798 had died.
That’s disappointing. Turning established, bipartisan education policies into political wedges simply undermine the future of hardworking Texan students who want opportunities to learn, contribute and succeed.
This isn’t just about defending the policy. It’s about shaping the story and ensuring that the story telling about immigration is rooted in reality rather than rhetoric.
Texas can lead with purpose, not politics
When several states have recently withdrawn from common-sense education policies, including Florida, which has ended its undocumented in-state teaching policies for students, Texas has taken a different path. Texas didn’t go on, they took the lead. The lawmakers listened, they learned, and they kept focusing on where it belonged.
By leaving the act of Texas’ dreams intact, Texas reaffirmed its role as national leadership. This has committed to investing in talent that has long promoted economic engines. This session reminded us of what is possible when the community gathers together, business leaders speak up and elected officials choose facts around their fears and visions of rhetoric.
Submitted below: Student, Texas
