Austin, TX – Una ley para subir el precio a las licencias de conducir en Texas que ya pasó el Senado, morirá calladamente en el Congreso si sus opositores consiguen imponerse. El aumento de ocho dólares al precio de la licencia por seis años, es uno de los muchos cobros nuevos para fondear el Departamento de Seguridad Pública (DPS). Sus críticos dicen que la ley también otorga poderes sin precedente al departamento. Luis Figueroa, abogado de la oficina en Texas del Mexican American Legal Defense Fund(Fondo México-Americano de Defensa Legal, conocido como MALDEF), dice que las medidas tendrían un impacto negativo en los inmigrantes de todos los niveles, y que la ley tiene algo odioso para toda persona, al margen las inclinaciones políticas.

"Así sea un precio, una violación de la privacidad, una violación de los derechos civiles o un impacto a los inmigrantes completamente legales, no pensamos que sea una buena legislación."

Los partidarios de la ley dicen que agilizaría el proceso de obtención de una licencia y precisaría que los oficinistas del DPS verificaran los complicados documentos migratorios. Figueroa afirma que haría más difícil, si no imposible, que los inmigrantes legales obtuvieran sus licencias.

Quienes abogan por un gobierno con límites también están preocupados por la ley. Heather Fazio, coordinadora legislativa de Texans for Accountable Government PAC (Tejanos por un Gobierno Transparente), dice que los conservadores fiscales deberían oponerse a la ley porque, de hecho, es una puerta falsa para pagar un aumento en el gasto estatal.

"Y así es como han estado siendo sigilosos en esto, no haciéndolo a través del presupuesto. Quiero decir, técnicamente puede ser un ingreso neutral, pero en realidad es un incremento al gasto que será pagado con el aumento de tarifas."

Fazio dice que su organización, conocida como TAG por sus siglas en inglés, se opone a la ley porque el sistema de licencias de conducir de Texas se empataría con la ley federal REAL I-D, a la que califica de "mandato anticonstitucional y sin fundamento."

Figueroa dice que los partidarios que afirman que mejoraría los servicios del Departamento de Seguridad Pública están tirando un anzuelo, porque las tarifas se aplicarían sobre todo para cubrir los recortes presupuestales al departamento.

"Tendríamos las mismas filas y las mismas dificultades para obtener las licencias de conducir para mucha población aquí en Texas pero a un costo más alto. "

Las tarifas recaudarían unos 37 millones de dólares durante los próximos dos años, parte de los que el DPS gastaría en lectores automáticos de placas, un banco de datos biométrico y más técnicos en huellas dactilares... mucho de lo cual servirá para cumplir con la iniciativa federal "Comunidades seguras", con el objeto de rastrear y deportar a inmigrantes criminales e indocumentados.


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The future of Senate Bill 4 is still tangled in court challenges. It's the Texas law that would allow police to arrest people for illegally crossing the border. But groups are speaking out about the impact of "Operation Lone Star" on the youngest migrants. Governor Greg Abbott continues to bus migrant families to other states, many with young children - more than 100,000 families so far.

Robert Sanborn, CEO of Children at Risk, works to improve the quality of life for boys and girls in Texas, and contends the policy has put trauma on top of trauma.

"We never want children to be political pawns. We don't want maximum chaos on the backs of children. We want children to grow up and be assets for our community," he contended.

Sanborn points out that 2.2 million children in Texas are immigrants, and said it would be less stressful for kids if families were not bused in the middle of the night, and if they were allowed to pick their destination.

When immigrants arrive at the border, they are evaluated to determine if they're eligible for asylum.

Beatriz Zavala, clinical coordinator at El Paso-based Humanitarian Outreach for Migrant Emotional Health, or "HOME," said the children in this situation are at higher risk for mental health disorders.

"What is particularly troubling is the profound disregard for the stability and protection these families need. The impact on their mental health is undeniable. These are not just statistics. These are children, real children," she said.

As part of Operation Lone Star, families have been bused to Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. The governor has said the practice is needed to keep the Texas-Mexico border safe.


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Legislation in Albany would create the first right to counsel for people in immigration court.

The Access to Representation Act would provide immigrants the right to an attorney in their New York immigration cases, ending the tendency to represent themselves if they cannot afford one.

Estimates show a backlog of more than 330,000 immigration court cases, and fewer than half have attorneys. Studies show without legal counsel, migrants are less likely to remain in the U.S.

Marlene Galaz, director of immigrant rights policy for the New York Immigration Coalition, described what the bill would do.

"It has a six-year ramp-up to start implementing and building infrastructure," Galaz outlined. "Having a pipeline between law schools for law students to go into immigration practice, and getting to nonprofits and so on."

Galaz noted most opposition centers around the $150 million to fund the program but pointed out the total expenditure is less than 1% of the state's $229 billion budget. She added anti-immigrant rhetoric has also damaged support for the bill. Currently, it is in the state Senate Finance Committee.

The New York City Comptroller's office said enacting the bill would benefit the state financially. It could keep about 53,000 people from being deported, which would result in almost $8.5 billion in local, state and federal taxes over the next 30 years.

Galaz emphasized the influx of migrants has saturated the court system, leading to what could have been an avoidable backlog.

"I firmly believe that if these investments had been made when we first asked for them, I believe, like, three years ago, then we wouldn't be struggling," Galaz contended. "We would have had the infrastructure built to address an increase in welcoming our newest neighbors."

A Vera Institute survey showed 93% of New Yorkers across party lines and regions support access to attorneys for all people, including those in immigration court, and government-funded attorneys for them.


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Story has been updated to reflect late-night 5th Circuit Court of Appeals decision.(8:01 a.m. MST, Mar. 20, 2024)


The U.S. Supreme Court handed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott a big but temporary win Tuesday in his battle to stop the flow of migrants crossing the Texas-Mexico border.

Late Tuesday night, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals put the law known as Senate Bill 4 on hold again. It would give state and local law enforcement the authority to arrest migrants as they cross into the U-S.

The Biden administration argued that the law would interfere with federal immigration law and is unconstitutional.

David Coale, an appellate attorney in Dallas, said if the state gets the authority to make arrests, he thinks it will move with caution.

"I think that Texas will want to make some very high-profile moves under this statute," Coale predicted. "But they also don't want to potentially expose themselves to massive civil rights liability if it turns out they're wrong."

Under SB-4, crossing the border illegally is a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail. The appeals court hears oral arguments in the case today. Meanwhile, a Mexican government official said his country won't accept migrants deported under SB-4.

The Supreme Court justices did not issue a reason for allowing the law to go into effect and there's been no clear timetable for how or when Texas will start enforcing it. In 2012, the Supreme Court struck down parts of a similar law in Arizona, saying an impasse in Congress over immigration reform did not justify state intrusion.

Coale noted if the law is ultimately upheld, it would give each state the right to make its own immigration laws.

"If you give Texas a pass, you know, New York will have a different policy and California will have a policy and Montana will have a policy," Coale pointed out. "And they will not be consistent."

All six of the court's conservative justices agreed with the decision to allow the law to take effect - a ruling that, at least for now, was in effect for only a few hours.


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