AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A conservative student group announced Monday they will play a “Catch an Illegal Immigrant Game” this week on the University of Texas at Austin, drawing condemnation from Democrats and a threat of expulsion from campus officials.
The Young Conservatives of Texas have planned the game for Wednesday. Club members will wander the campus wearing signs that say “illegal immigrant,” and students who capture them and take them to the Young Conservatives’ recruiting table will get $25 gift certificates.
“The purpose of this event is to spark a campus-wide discussion about the issue of illegal immigration, and how it affects our everyday lives,” a statement posted by the group’s spokesman, Lorenzo Garcia. The group did not immediately reply to several emails sent by The Associated Press.
The Texas Democratic Party pounced on the posting, condemning the game and pointing out that Garcia recently was a paid staffer with Republican Greg Abbott’s gubernatorial campaign. The Democratic party has been pushing Abbott to state his position on a Texas law that allows children brought into the country illegally by their parents to receive in-state tuition, legislation called the Texas DREAM Act.
“While Abbott has said he doesn’t support the DREAM Act as it is, he refuses to say what he would change and if he supports it at all,” state Democratic chairman Gilberto Hinojosa said. “He must come out and immediately denounce Wednesday’s event. This style of hatred and fear is not the type of leadership Texas deserves.”
“Spark a campus-wide discussion?” Translation–stir up trouble and if there isn’t a scapegoat, lets get one.
There is a Texas Dream Act. I don’t like a lot of things that happen in Texas. To me, it is certainly not a last bastion of hope and enlightenment. However, the fact that it does have a state Dream Act is a good thing about Texas. Dream Acts allow the kids of illegal immigrants to continue go on to college like the rest of their classmates. The glass ceiling is taken down, unlike in so many other states nationwide.
I don’t know the details of the Texas Dream Act other than it dates back to 2001 and grants in-state college tuition rates to Texas high school graduates who are undocumented. I expect those students have to been in the Texas school system for a certain period of time and I expect there have to be parents or parent figures involved in some way. This practice makes good economic sense. Why wouldn’t we want good students in institutes of higher learning? Placing artificial barriers on the heads of any group of people is simply wrong. Dead wrong! Yet many Texas politicians run on the campaign promise to repeal the Texas Dream Act.
What do University of Texas (Austin) officials have to say about this exercise that is about to take place? They aren’t real happy:
Gregory Vincent, the university’s vice president for diversity, said students who participate in the game Wednesday would be exercising their freedom of speech “to the detriment of others.”
“The YCT is contributing to an environment of exclusion and disrespect among our students, faculty and staff by sending the message that certain students do not belong on our campus,” Vincent said in a statement. “If the members of YCT carry out their plan … they are willfully ignoring the honor code and contributing to the degradation of our campus culture.”
Students found guilty of violating the honor code could face expulsion.
They should be expelled if they single out others. The citizens of Texas should not be supporting this kind of exclusionary practice, even in game form. Throw down any other group of people like Jews, Blacks, Catholics, Gays and lesbians, and see where that gets them. Because illegal immigrants aren’t empowered by virtue of the fact that they lack status in the United States, they become easy targets. The undocumented students on campus might have a thin veil of protection, their parents sure don’t. Therefore, they are far easier victims that other minority groups.
Shame on the Young Conservatives of Texas. Shame! Shame! Shame!
Stupidity is a non-partisan issue.
Shameful. But Wendy Davis is running for governor there next year and could turn the state blue. Alienating Latinos with stunts like this is not going to help their cause.