It’s Time for Texas to End In-state Tuition for Illegals
Earlier this week, Texans for Strong Borders President Chris Russo testified at the Senate Committee on Education K-16 in favor of SB 1798, which would repeal in-state tuition for illegal aliens. The bill has not yet passed out of committee for consideration by the full Senate but since the hearing, three Senators (Hall, King, & Hagenbuch), have signed on as co-authors and the bill is expected to move.
Currently, Texas provides in-state tuition and taxpayer-funded financial aid to individuals who have unlawfully entered our country. Since the beginning of this practice two decades ago, the number of illegals taking advantage of this policy has grown to over 56,000, costing Texas $150 million per year.
Essentially, Texas is investing millions of dollars in educating foreign students who have no legal right to remain here after graduation. For every illegal alien whose education we fund, a U.S. citizen is being denied a seat at one of our premier institutions of higher education.
A free education is just one more incentive for citizens of other countries to cross our border unlawfully. Most recent election results have shown that Americans are against illegal immigration and want all illegal aliens deported.
This is especially true here in Texas. In September of 2024, a bipartisan poll revealed that 72% of Texans are against giving taxpayer subsidies to illegal aliens.
In the March 2024 primary, 87% of Republican voters in Texas were in favor of Proposition 4, which called for ending all taxpayer subsidies and public services for illegal aliens.
Russo thanked Sen. Middleton and Sen. Schwertner for their leadership on this bill and closed by emphasizing that it is time to reallocate resources to support Texans and invest in the education of students who will contribute to our state’s future.
Passing E-Verify is Critical for the Future of Texas
Texans for Strong Borders President Chris Russo also testified this week in favor of Senate Bill 324. On Thursday, the legislation was reported favorably and voted out of committee.
This bill, filed by State Senator Lois Kolkhorst, will ensure that all individuals hired in Texas, whether in the public or private sector, are legally authorized to work in the US.
A study conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas concluded that in other states, universal E-Verify laws have reduced illegal labor by up to 80%.
The number one reason illegal aliens enter the United States is to gain employment. Passing this bill will eliminate this incentive and “could be an extremely powerful tool for interior immigration enforcement,” according to Russo’s testimony.
This legislation would discourage companies from hiring illegal aliens and force them to compete fairly without compromising the local wage structure. It also protects employers who wish to follow the law from being accused of discrimination for refusing to hire an individual without authentic documentation.
This policy has broad support from Texas citizens. Nearly 90% of Republican Primary Voters supported universal E-Verify, and recent polling shows that the majority of Texans, regardless of political affiliation, support this legislation.
In his closing statement, Russo stated that he was proud to support this legislation, emphasizing that “Texans have delivered a mandate for bold action to secure our state and protect our workers.”