Texas Immigration Issues

Approximately 200,000 to 225,000 undocumented immigrants enroll in American institutions of higher education and represent 2 percent of all students in college (Suarez-Orozco, Katsiaficas, Birchall, Alcantar, & Hernandez, 2015). Undocumented students have low rates of enrollment to programs of higher education in comparison to documented students. When undocumented students begin college, they go through struggles to adapt and assimilate to college life. As a result of feeling disconnected to the campus they attend, undocumented students may look for different options for support, such as clubs and centers offered for students. In recent years, there have been legal changes set in place to support the success of undocumented students enrolled in higher education, which include in state tuition, financial aid, and scholarship opportunities. These changes have given undocumented students more choices and access to

In “Undocumented students’ Access to College: The American Dream Denied,” Chavez, Soriano and Olivia (2007) have stated that millions of students who live in United States are undocumented immigrants; most of them come to U.S at a very young age. They completed their high school and achieved great academic success, some of them even got admitted by well know universities. From 2002 onwards , Assembly Bill 540 (AB 540) , authorized by the late Marco Antonio Firebaugh , allows any student who has completed three years high school, and received a high school diploma or equivalent in California, regardless of their immigration status, are legally allowed to attend colleges and universities (Chavez,Soriano and Oliverez 256).Even though they are eligible to apply and be admitted to universities, but they are not eligible to apply for federal financial aid, without the help of financial aid, it is extremely difficult for them to afford tuition. In this case, it severely limits undocumented student’s chances for upward mobility.

In the mid 1800s, many people around the world decided to leave their homes and immigrate to Texas. Fleeing crop failure, land and job shortages, raising taxes, and famine, all of this caused them to dismiss to Texas and create a new life. Most of the immigrants that came to Texas they were lost and desolated in Texas, they didn’t have any money and didn't spoke english in Document A it says how they lived when they came to Texas “With no other shelter, these unfortunate victims lived in hole they had excavated in the ground, without roofs and without drinking water except that that fell from heaven…” For the immigrants the U.S was seen as the land of economic opportunity,

In 1996, Congress passed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) which prevented undocumented students to receive postsecondary educational benefit on the basis of residence in a state unless U.S. citizens a were eligible for the same benefit (Frum, 2007). However, the act did not prohibit states from granting in-state tuition to undocumented students; rather, the act mentioned that out-of-state U.S. citizens must also qualify for the same benefits. According to Olivas (2004), the IIRIRA gives states the authority to determine state residency for tuition purpose.

The DREAM Act plays a big role in the nation’s effort to have the highest proportion of graduates in the world by 2020 (Miranda). Allowing this to pass would reduce the drop out rate significantly all throughout the country. 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high school every year. In Luis Miranda’s Get The Facts On The Dream Act, Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan has stated that passing the Dream Act will allow “these young people to live up to their fullest potential and contribute to the economic growth of our country.” It gives students the incentive to go through school and get a degree. When undocumented students are attending school, some colleges wont accept them. Knowing that, they do not have the drive or interest in pursuing a college degree. A lot of immigrants now will finish high school, get there diploma, then go find a job. Having this bill passed will change the education in the United States forever.

Undocumented students are becoming a growing outrage in the United States. It has been a constant battle amongst the students, the schools, and the Government. According to collegeboard.com, statistics shows that 65,000 undocumented students graduate from U.S. high schools each year (collegeboard.com).After graduating high school they face legal and financial barriers to higher education. This paper will address the importance of this growing outrage and discuss the following that corresponds to it.

There are around 11.7 million illegal Mexican immigrants living in the United States. Today many of the teenagers of those immigrants are obtaining a free access to college education. [How are the illegals obtaining (getting) access to the free college?] On average a college education would cost a legal citizen going to a four-year college, which doesn’t include books, transport, and personal expenses can range from $107,000 to around $370,000. For example, there is a teenager named Indira Esparza, an illegal immigrant, graduated from University City in San Diego, California. She was able to secure a spot attending an expensive and exclusive private school, that is for the elite, with a full scholarship, $10,000 and other material. Esparza does not have to pay for books, transportation, and

The current public policy, the statues quo, is the first alternative. This policy allows undocumented students who have resided in Texas for at least 3 years, graduated from a Texas high school, and who sign an affidavit ensuring they will apply for legal status as soon as possible to attend colleges and universities in Texas while receiving state aid (“SB 1403 Bill Analysis”, 2001). This policy has benefited thousands of undocumented immigrants since it was first enacted in 2001. This policy does not reward the immigrants like many claim, but instead evens out the plaining field for children who were brought into the state and country at no fault of their own. Undocumented students who pursue higher education constitute a small group of extremely

The first policy alternative, the status quo, is to not repeal or change the current makeup of the Texas Dream Act. Texas awards around $9 million in grants and scholarships, which are paid from the appropriations made by the legislature every two years. This might seem like a large amount but that cost is merely a fraction of the net profit the states makes off of undocumented students paying tuition at universities across the state. By not changing the policy Texas would expect to attain $56.1 million in tuition revenue from the undocumented students attending universities in Texas. Besides the tuition revenue, Texas would expect to see another $65 billion from wages, salaries and business earning by undocumented immigrants. The extra

Despite its history of harsh policies towards foreign born immigrants, two bills have been introduced into the Texas Legislature which provide some leniency toward immigrants. The first is a proposal would grant undocumented immigrants the ability to legally drive and obtain insurance if they pass a background check and a driving

Significance: Since 2001, state legislatures have been battling over the issue of whether or not to provide undocumented students, who have lived in this country for many years, a chance at a low-cost college education.

To solve most of Texas’ education dilemmas, we must ensure that state legislature along with every candidate and sate leader restores all funding and supports education for all Texas students. We must invest in high quality education as population continues to grow. This will help set the stage and make dreams reachable for the future leaders of

Secondary education is a highly debated subject. Many critics of secondary education say that inner-city high schools and students are not receiving the same attention as students from non inner-city high schools. Two of the biggest concerns are the lack of school funding that inner-city high schools are receive and the low success rate in sending inner-city high schools graduates to college. Critics say that while inner-city high schools struggle to pay its teachers and educate its student’s non inner-city high schools don’t have to deal with the lack of school funding. Also students from non inner-city high school are not being given the opportunity to attend colleges once the

It is under state law that anyone under the age of 21 is entitled to an education regardless of their legal status. Extracting students of undocumented immigrants from school to prevent them from receiving an education is unconstitutional according to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Plyler v. Doe. Taking a

Those who propose barring the children of illegal immigrants from our schools have understandable worries. They worry that their state taxes will rise as undocumented children crowd their school systems. They worry about