In March, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida announced a comprehensive legislative action plan which, short of declaring an invasion, would wipe out immigration from the state’s perspective.
DeSantis’ plan included tasking the Florida Legislature with the following:
- Revoking driver’s licenses given to illegals in other states or local municipalities
- Ending in-state tuition for illegal aliens in Florida institutions of higher education
- Mandating the use of E-Verify for ALL Florida businesses (public and private)
- Classifying the use of false identifying documents to criminally obtain employment as a felony
- Revoking the license of any business caught violating the law twice within 24 hours
- Classify ‘knowingly transporting, harboring, or concealing illegal aliens’ as a felony
While this list is expansive, it’s only half of what DeSantis is pushing in Florida this legislative session.
Recent polls showed that 82% of Texas Republicans support his efforts to mandate E-Verify and and 75% support the end of in-state tuition for illegal aliens. Both policy proposals sit in the top three of our legislative priorities at number two and number three.
Therefore we call on the Texas Legislature, Governor Abott, Lt. Governor Patrick, and Speaker of the House Dade Phelan to not only follow Governor Desantis’s efforts to pass such legislation in Florida but put Texas in the lead.
This falls under the Republican Party of Texas’ legislative priority, “Secure the Border & Protect Texans,” which have been foundational to the Republican platform for years.
The governorship and supermajorities within both houses have been held by Republicans in Texas for nearly three decades with nothing to show for it on the immigration front.
Luckily, strong bills have been authored to accomplish these reforms in Texas for the legislature to get behind. Call your State Representative and/or State Senator and tell them to put Texas in the lead by prioritizing and passing:
Mandate E-Verify – HB 3846 by State Rep. Steve Toth and SB 1621 by State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst
End In-State Tuition – HB 3280 by State Rep. Terri Leo-Wilson