Rooted: Immigrant Student Liberation Collective
Friends:
On behalf of Rooted and United We Dream leader, Julieta Garibay, the repeal of the Texas Dream Act for certain immigrant youth is moving forward. She is currently working with Barbara Hines, who many of you will recognize as former Director of the UT Immigration Clinic in the UT School of Law, as well as with the Texas Immigration Law Council, IDRA, ImmSchools, and others to respond to this moment.
We’ve created a resource hub that includes fact sheets and checklists in English and Spanish (recursos en español)
👉 https://linktr.ee/TXdreamact
She is currently supporting UT Austin students who are urgently calling for an extension on the implementation of this repeal of the Texas DREAM Act. The University of Texas at Austin is now requiring lawful status instead of lawful presence to qualify for in-state tuition, and using an outdated residency questionnaire that would wrongly disqualify students who should remain eligible. Meanwhile, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board just released an “updated affidavit” last Friday and promised further guidance—yet universities are expected to enforce changes as early as this fall.
The request is whether your organization would be willing to support these students by emailing UT officials and urging an extension? It would be very helpful to send a message to the contacts below, Cc’ing txstudentsfordei@gmail.com, and including a statement like:
"[Organization Name] supports the student-led call for an extension on implementation of the repeal."
To:
Cc: <txstudentsfordei@gmail.com>
The facts are straightforward: UT Austin initially requested proof of "lawful status" when the actual requirement was "lawful presence." This fundamental error created confusion that persists today. Meanwhile, THECB continues to release guidance updates—the most recent came on July 18th, less than a week before the deadline. Students cannot reasonably be expected to comply with requirements that regulatory bodies are still clarifying.
The situation:
Students are calling the residency office repeatedly, receiving different information each time. This isn't because staff lack dedication—it's because the implementation timeline didn't allow for proper training and systems development. Students don’t have access to lawyers who can straighten out the legal mess that the repeal of the Texas DREAM Act has done.
Other students need to get required documents that take weeks to obtain from government offices abroad. The current timeline makes compliance nearly impossible regardless of a student's diligence or good faith efforts.
Our ask: extend the documentation deadline to the start of Spring 2026.
You have the authority to fix this situation. An extension to Spring 2026 acknowledges the real challenges created by the rushed initial timeline while ensuring compliance can be achieved properly. This isn't about avoiding responsibility—it's about executing responsibility well.
Students chose UT Austin because they believed in the institution's commitment to their success. That commitment is tested in moments like these, when systems fail and leaders must choose between convenience and doing right by their students – especially the most vulnerable ones.
Our request is simple and reasonable:
Extend the deadline to Spring 2026. Give students the time they need to comply properly. Give your staff the resources to help effectively. Give the university the chance to handle this transition with the excellence that should define our institution.
We trust you will make the decision to extend the deadline, which best serves students and the university's long-term interests.
Respectfully,
[Organization name]
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