In a interview Wednesday with a right-wing talk show host, Greg Abbott was asked why the state of Texas needs to educate all children, including undocumented ones. The Texas governor responded by saying the state might consider “resurrecting” the Supreme Court case which ruled that states cannot deny free public education to a child because of his or her status as a immigration.

In 1982, in the landmark decision Plyler v. Doe, the Supreme Court ruled against the state of Texas for enacting legislation to withhold funds from school districts that allowed undocumented children to study. While Roe v. Wade appears to be on the brink of collapse, it seems Abbott is intent on having the current ultra-right Supreme Court challenge another long-running ruling.

Plyler v. Doe was a 5-4 decision when handed down. The five justices who ruled in favor argued that undocumented immigrants and their children enjoy the protections of the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution.

On the thirtieth anniversary of the Plyler v. Doe, President Barack Obama announced the creation of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), which would allow young immigrants brought to the United States as children to stay temporarily in the country on two-year visas. work. The State of Texas, led by indicted Attorney General Ken Paxton, led legal efforts to dismantle DACA. Last year, a Texas judge ruled DACA “unlawful” and blocked new applications to the program (current DACA holders can still submit two-year renewals).

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