Immigration policy in Texas
The state of Texas has a long history of immigration and immigration policy.[1] The region that is now Texas was originally home to several Native American tribes. The first European immigrants arrived in the 1600s when the land was colonized by the French and the Spanish. Financial incentives created by the Mexican government brought many immigrants to Mexican Texas in the 1820s, mostly from slaveholding areas in the southern United States. This continued as significant illegal immigration to Mexico after 1830, when American migrants were banned.
The next wave of immigrants arrived in the 1980s, prompted by the passage of the Immigration Reform and Control Act and a booming oil industry.[citation needed] By 2018, nearly five million immigrants lived in Texas.[citation needed]
Immigration is a major topic in American politics and was a key issue for President Donald Trump. Despite a decrease in the rate of immigration, recent policies have attempted to limit immigration to Texas and restrict legal protections for migrants. The United States federal government regulates the international border and has primary enforcement power for immigration law. State and local governments can choose whether to cooperate with federal law enforcement, and what services to provide to legal and illegal immigrants.
Long before Texas became a state, several Native American tribes lived in the region. The Caddo, Lipan Apache, Karankawa, Jumano, Tonkawa, and Coahuiltecan people were some of the first inhabitants.[2] The land was settled by the French and the Spaniards beginning in the 1600s, and the conquistadors and missionaries who arrived from Europe greatly changed the Native Americans' ways of life.[3] The Spaniards claimed the largest amount of land and significantly influenced the culture of the region, the effects of which are still felt in Texas to this day.
In 1820, Mexico, which included present-day Texas, gained independence from Spain. After significant amounts of legal and illegal immigration from the southern United States generated political instability, Texas then declared independence from Mexico in 1836 and became the Republic of Texas, which was annexed by the United States in 1846 with the main purpose of continuing slavery.[4] As a consequence of Texas leaving Mexico and joining the United States, many Mexican Americans never moved from their homes but lived in two nations, and there is a popular saying among Mexican Americans which states, "We didn't cross the border, the border crossed us."[5] The current border of Texas was not established until the Compromise of 1850.
The subject of immigration has always been a major issue in the United States and has become increasingly polarized over the last 20 years, with many stances on immigration criticized for being disconnected from their relevant statistics.[6] The federal government of the United States is responsible for setting and enforcing most immigration policies, which determine who may become a new citizen or enter the country as a temporary resident, permanent resident, or refugee.[7] However, states have the power to establish their own supplementary policies, allowing them to determine which public services immigrants can access, establish employee screening requirements, and guide interactions between related state agencies and their federal counterparts. For instance, some Texas jurisdictions have adopted policies that limit their cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.[7] These jurisdictions are known as sanctuary jurisdictions. Once inside the United States legally, immigrants have freedom of movement between the states and may work anywhere if federally authorized (other than employer-specific visas).
