Texas Senate Bill 1819 Case Study

Today in Texas and the United States, there has been many issues that involve immigration. Many people assume that they are taking the U.S. citizens jobs which is causing many to lose their jobs or the insufficient amount of jobs there are. Or how they don’t belong here, and they should “go back to where they belong.” There are some pros and cons of having immigrants in the state of Texas, and if there is a way to compromise on this subject of if they should be allowed here or not. Also, if the state of Texas should have any play in the immigration policy. After reading the passage “Immigration in Texas” and the arguments both state senators Dan Patrick and Julio Castro were both very persuasive.

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.

Texas students deserve better. Our state leaders must take action to restore all funding cuts to higher education and keep the dream of college alive for all Texas

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.

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

11.13). When it comes to addressing the performance issues facing Texas schools, issues facing the poor, the reality of a water shortage, and problems relating to transportation, there is great reluctance among Texas Republicans when it comes to expanding the government’s role in improvements, as well as in raising the necessary funds through taxation. The Texas Politics Project (2017) explains that when it comes to the current state of Texas schools, supporters of a more fiscally conservative approach feel that such an approach “at least achieves average results with below-average spending” (p. 11.9). The current conservatism that defines the overall political approach in Texas may not be adequate in the long term. As we are seeing, changing demographics are substantially impacting the state of Texas and will likely lead to necessary changes throughout the state.

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

The current Texas Constitution was ratified in 1876. It was a natural and necessary reaction to the previous constitution which was imposed by carpetbaggers and radical reformists. The new constitution better represented the political culture of home-grown Texans: limited government and maximum freedom of the citizens. This constitution not only limited the power of government, it also limited governmental terms and set the salaries of government officials. Farmers and [then] conservative democrats were primarily responsible for the current Texas Constitution.

The Constitution of the State of Texas is the document representing the structure and function of the Texas government. The current Constitution took effect on February 15, 1876 and is the sixth Constitution in the history of Texas. When first constructed, the Texas Constitution was a poorly organized document that did not explain clearly the responsibility for government actions. Since its conception (through June 2011), there have been 646 proposed amendments and 476 adopted amendments added to this document. The Texas Constitution is also highly restrictive; it only grants enumerated powers to the State of Texas and does not allow for implied powers. The constant change to this Constitution has added to its poor organized condition that is extremely difficult to understand, even by the courts.

and Texas economies, according to Julian Castro, is that businesses in Texas greatly benefit from the hard work of undocumented immigrants. Saying that as long as there are jobs available, immigrants will find a way to make it to the United States despite any border securities. While some cons of illegal immigration considering the U.S. and Texas economies, according to Dan Patrick, is that it will strain the state budget on education and health care. Some would even say that illegal immigrants are the reasons for job shortages, however some would also say that illegal immigrants would work harder to keep their jobs over

The reason is that there will be fair admission to higher education once the nonresident student successfully fulfills the needful requirements for admission. This will also make a fair treatment for students by the college institution and among students themselves. Once the student complies with the residency requirements, the student is entitled to access to an in-state tuition or resident tuition rate which is granted according to the Texas Law. “Texas House Bill 1403 granted certain non­immigrant students, including undocumented stu­dents, access to in­state tuition rates at Texas public institutions of higher education and state financial aid. To qualify, the bill required students to have: resided in Texas with a parent or guardian while attending high school in Texas, resided in Texas for the three years leading to graduation or receipt of a GED or provided their institutions a signed affidavit indicating intent to apply for perma­nent resident status as soon as able to do so”(Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board). Although the House Bill 1403 may have required three years of residency, the Senate Bill 1528 repealed House Bill 1403 and dropped the requirement of having lived with a parent and establishing residency at 12 months.(Heilig, et

Until recent years, Immigration reform has become controversial in Texas. Despite Texas being a state with a large immigration population, many Texas legislators remain divided on the different issues of immigration measures. During the 82nd Regular Legislative Session, Doug Miller, a Republican State Representative authored House Bill 1272 that would essentially require employers, from all sectors, to participate in the federal electronic verification of work authorization program, also known as E-Verify. House Bill 1272 "would also establish criminal penalties for any employers that would engage in unlawful employment practices. Freedom and equality are being violated if House Bill 1272 should is passed, as well as it would be devastating

Republicans in Texas offer free higher education to minorities that are here on work visas, which has always brought more votes for the Republican Party. More scholarships are awarded to minorities in Texas. The result of higher education allow minorities to receive more than minimum wage paying jobs. With these jobs minorities are able to get off of the welfare system. A large percentage of minorities find it easier to live off of the system that provides housing, food for the table, dental care, medical care, vision care, and care at the expense of tax payers. Without the option of higher education many minorities get involved with crime regarding gangs and drug issues statewide. When it comes to higher education, scholarships and grants are offered so more minorities get the education they deserve and/or need. According to texaseducationexcellence.org “[t]he Texas Coalition for Excellence in Higher Education is a group of concerned citizens who believe strongly in the power of higher education to transform lives, build our economy and shape Texas’ future”. With more minorities receiving a higher education it allows all citizens of Texas to be equal. Having more people that are qualified to perform jobs that corporate companies are looking for will attract more companies down to Texas thus making the state more competitive, which creates more job opportunities.