Texas Dream Act allowing in-state tuition for undocumented students dismantled
For over 20 years, thousands of undocumented students have benefited from the Texas Dream Act. The law gave college students without legal residency access to reduced in-state tuition.
"All three of my brothers and sisters are college graduates. We made it, but we are a very small percentage of people who, because of HB 1403, because of in-state tuition, were able to make it," said Cesar Espinosa, a Texas Dream Act recipient.
Wednesday, just hours after the Department of Justice filed suit challenging the Texas law, a federal judge blocked the Texas Dream Act, calling it "unconstitutional and invalid."
The law was passed in the state legislature in 2001 with bipartisan support.
Domingo Garcia who was a state representative at the time and helped write the bill is calling this latest development "mean-spirited."
"The recent remarks and actions targeting the Hispanic community in Texas are deeply concerning and do not reflect the values of fairness, justice, and equality that our society is built upon," said Garcia.
There have been efforts in the legislature to eliminate the Texas Dream Act. In April, Espinosa was one of dozens of people who testified against a bill to tear it down.
"It took me 33 years to get my status. I wanted to get status when I was 5, I wanted to get status when I was 10, I was dying to get status when I was 18 and was accepted to Yale, and Brown and Cornell University," said Espinosa.
Many are also highlighting the economic consequences this repeal will bring.
According to a report by Every Texan, Texas Dream Act students paid $81.6 million in tuition and fees in 2023.
"The Texas Dream Act is one of the rare pieces of legislation that over 20 years people who have tried to come and mess with it have failed because it was designed so well to do what it was supposed to do what it was supposed to do, which is recoup the investment that we make on students," said Jaime Puente, Director of Economic opportunity, Every Texan.