Two former Texas legislators from opposing political parties have highlighted the bipartisan origins and economic rationale behind the Texas Dream Act, stressing its role as an investment in the state’s future rather than simply an immigration policy measure.

In 2001, Texas became the first state to implement a law enabling certain undocumented students who met specific residency criteria and graduated from Texas high schools to qualify for in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities. Richard J. Noriega, a Democrat who served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009, was instrumental in authoring the legislation. Byron Cook, a Republican who represented Texas’s 8th district from 2003 to 2019, spent years defending the statute.

The lawmakers emphasize that the policy was designed to address a straightforward question: after public schools had educated these students for up to 12 years using taxpayer funds, should the state allow them to complete their higher education and join the workforce, or abandon the investment just before its returns could be realized? The Texas Dream Act passed with broad bipartisan support.

The law’s eligibility requirements are stringent, the authors note. To qualify, students must have graduated from a Texas high school, satisfied residency requirements, and signed an affidavit affirming their intention to pursue legal permanent residency when eligible. These stipulations, they argue, set a higher standard than those applied to out-of-state students seeking in-state tuition.

Economic data cited by the authors underscores the policy’s financial impact. By 2021, undocumented students contributed more than $81 million annually in tuition and fees to Texas public higher education institutions, according to the nonprofit Every Texan. The American Immigration Council has estimated that rescinding the policy could result in a loss exceeding $461 million yearly in wages and consumer spending within the state.

While immigration remains a contentious national issue, the authors assert that students who have been educated in Texas public schools should not become unintended casualties of the broader debate over immigration reform. They call attention to the Texas Dream Act as a model of cross-party cooperation and a strategic investment in the state’s workforce and economy.