FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 19, 2026
CONTACT:
Marco Guajardo, mguajardo@texasaft.org
Texas educators condemn efforts to exclude immigrant children from the classroom
Congressional hearing floats overturning landmark legal precedent protecting access to public schools.
Austin, Texas – Yesterday, congressional Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee organized a hearing calling into question Plyler v. Doe, a 1982 Supreme Court decision affirming the right of all students, regardless of immigration status, to attend public schools. The effort was led by Texas Congressman Chip Roy, who is currently campaigning in the Republican primary runoff for Texas Attorney General. Roy faces a steep fundraising deficit against his opponent, an oil and gas multimillionaire who has loaned his campaign roughly $14 million since launching.
“All students deserve access to a quality education that unlocks a better future for them and their families. That’s the promise and the strength of public education, and it’s why public schools are so often the hearts of their communities,” said Zeph Capo, president of Texas AFT. “Toying with children’s futures to win a primary election is the tactic of a small, sad man. Texas is far better off with kids in the classroom and Chip Roy out of elected office.”
The federal government’s immigration agenda has already had a chilling effect on public school students across the country. In Houston ISD, Texas’s largest public school district, the immigrant student population has declined by 22% this school year, which amounts to almost 4,000 students.
The Texas American Federation of Teachers represents 66,000 teachers, paraprofessionals, support personnel, and higher-education employees across the state. Texas AFT is affiliated with the 1.8-million-member American Federation of Teachers and the AFL-CIO.