Texas leads nation in anti-immigrant legislation, according to new LULAC study

The Texas State legislature has proposed 91 anti-immigrant laws in the past four years, more than any other U.S. state according to a study published last week by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC).

LULAC's report analyzed the number of "anti-immigrant" laws being debated in state legislatures between 2020 and 2024. The civil-rights group chose this time frame because anti-immigration rhetoric became more mainstream following the 2020 presidential election, according to the analysis.

The study's authors defined "anti-immigrant" as bills or resolutions that "have specifically targeted migrant communities" and that amplify "harmful or misleading narratives," including Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's claims that non-citizens are voting in elections.

Indeed, Abbott receives a significant amount of criticism in LULAC's report. The Latino advocacy group blames the governor for a wave of anti-immigrant legislation sweeping the nation.

Specifically, LULAC called out Abbott's intensification of Operation Lone Star earlier this year, which saw the State of Texas enter a standoff with the federal government after Texas National Guard troops refused to allow federal agents into Eagle Pass's Shelby Park.

"In response, 16 states introduced 36 proposals to support Abbott's efforts and bolster their own state national guards," LULAC wrote. "The 2024 legislative session of state legislatures across the nation also saw a swelling of border- and law enforcement-related proposals, a 116% increase from the year before."

The study is also critical of Abbott's crackdown on voting rolls and the state's passage of SB 4, which would allow Texas police to arrest anyone suspected of being in the country illegally.

According to LULAC's study, the states introducing the most pieces of anti-immigrant legislation between 2020 and 2024 are:

• Texas: 91
  
• New Jersey: 51
  
• Tennessee: 31
  
• Missouri: 28
  
• Mississippi: 27
  

Indeed, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Democrat who represents large swaths of San Antonio's South and West Sides, has long been a vocal critic of Abbott's rhetoric towards migrants. During the height of the "Take Back Our Border" convoy in February, Castro told reporters that the governor would be to blame if the anti-immigrant convoy, which was heading to Eagle Pass, became violent.

Although rhetoric such as that espoused by Abbott and Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance — who falsely claims that Haitian migrants are eating people's pets — have stoked nativist fears, most of the anti-immigrant legislation introduced doesn't become law, according to LULAC's report.

Indeed, only 12.5% of such proposals introduced during the study's time period were signed into law, according to the authors. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of support for that legislation came from Republican lawmakers.

Although most of the bills targeting immigrant communities haven't become laws, LULAC warned that it's vital this election season for Latinos to vote.

"Latinos possess significant power to challenge and overturn anti-immigrant policies before they even take hold," LULAC wrote in its report. "With an estimated 36.2 million eligible Latino voters, this demographic holds the key to influencing the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. Yet, despite their growing numbers, Latino voter turnout remains significantly lower than any other racial or ethnic group."

Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.

Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter| Or sign up for our RSS Feed