We write to express our strong opposition to the March 18, 2026 hearing of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government titled “Immigration Policy by Court Order: The Adverse Effects of Plyler v. Doe,” which seeks to reopen a settled Supreme Court decision guaranteeing children access to public education regardless of immigration status.
As Texas legislators, we are deeply troubled by efforts to revisit Plyler v. Doe, a landmark Supreme Court decision that arose from a Texas law and affirmed a basic principle: children should not be denied access to a public education because of their immigration status. For more than four decades, this precedent has ensured that schools remain places of learning and opportunity rather than political battlegrounds.
Simply holding a hearing to question whether children should have access to public education sends a damaging signal to schools, educators, and families. At a moment when sweeping immigration enforcement actions are already creating fear and instability across the country, raising the prospect of denying children access to education only deepens that uncertainty.
Public education is foundational to economic opportunity and a strong workforce. Reopening settled constitutional questions does nothing to strengthen our education system. We appreciate your leadership in defending the constitutional protections affirmed in Plyler v. Doe and urge the Committee to reject attempts that would undermine access to public education for children.
Sincerely,
State Rep. Ramón Romero, Jr., Chairman, Mexican American Legislative Caucus
State Rep. Gene Wu, Chairman, Texas House Democratic Caucus.
Editor’s Note: The above letter was penned jointly by State Reps. Ramon Romero, Jr., chairman of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, and Gene Wu, chairman of the Texas House Democratic Caucus. It was sent March 17, 2026, to U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, ranking member of the Committee on the Judiciary.
