Governor Greg Abbott Wants To Stop Unauthorized Immigrants From Attending Texas Schools
An old 1975 law withheld state money from school districts for students who were undocumented in the United States. The Supreme Court had decided that it was unconstitutional in 1982.
During an interview on Wednesday, Texas Governor Abbott stated that he would “resurrect” a legal challenge over the law. He wants to prevent undocumented immigrants from attending schools in Texas.
“The challenges put on our public systems is extraordinary. I think we will resurrect that case and challenge this issue again. The expenses are extraordinary and the times are different than when Plyer v. Doe was issued many years ago,” he said.
In that case, the court decided that people that are living in the country with no documentation are still people “in an ordinary sense of the term.'” Therefore, they should be granted the same rights as other people in the nation.
The plaintiffs in the Plyer matter were four families who were denied an education because of the law.
“Greg Abbott has once more distinguished himself as one of our irresponsible and desperate politicians,” stated Thomas Saenz, president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. He added that the Plyer verdict has been firmly put it place by the court and is supported by Congress.
Reports indicate that there are 1.7 million people residing in Texas that are undocumented. 116,000 of those people are enrolled in schools.
Additionally, Abbott has arranged for buses to transport migrants from Texas to Washington. Many migrants were planning to head there anyway as a means to receive services more easily. The White House and the migrants have shown appreciation to Abbott for the free cross-country journey.
