Advocates for undocumented college students claim some students have been told incorrectly they are no longer eligible for low in-state tuition rates, the Texas Tribune reports. They are asking for clear guidance on the issue.In June a federal court ruled unconstitutional the Texas Dream Act, a state law which granted in-state college tuition rates for undocumented college students. The June court ruling came after the state declined to defend a suit filed by the U.S. Justice Department. Advocates say some schools are confusing students previously eligible under the Dream Act with students attending under the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA, who are considered to be living legally in the United States.“The rules don’t help at all. They create even more confusion… You’re just going to have, again, more people getting wrongly denied,” said Julieta Garibay, co-founder of United We Dream, a national immigrant advocacy group. The advocates say several colleges, including Blinn College and Laredo College, initially said on their websites that DACA recipients can no longer obtain in-state tuition.An assistant commissioner for the coordinating board, Charles W. Contéro-Puls, said repealing the Texas Dream Act would not negatively affect the state’s economy, a claim disputed by the American Immigration Council. Its analysis concluded rescinding instate tuition for undocumented students could cost the state more than $460 million annually in lost wages and spending power.
AI ‘gold rush’ sweeps Texas As Gov. Greg Abbott helped unveil the new Stargate facility in Abilene, he praised the state’s increasing role in the rapid growth of the artificial intelligence center. The Dallas Morning News reported the governor hinted that upcoming data center buildouts will be “far larger” than the nearly $500 billion center opening in Abilene.Financial and technology companies are staking claims in the state, Abbott said. Stargate’s facility in Abilene is part of a joint venture of OpenAI, Oracle, Softbank and the federal government. It plans to increase capacity at the flagship sites and add two other facilities in Shackelford and Milam counties.Abbott hinted the sites unveiled are just the beginning for the economic growth spurred by AI.“When you see the demand for them for artificial intelligence, you will see the power that it will inject into the future of the Texas economy,” he said.While there are concerns about high energy demand by the data centers, Abbott said the state’s capacity is more than sufficient.“We have wind, solar, nuclear, which we’re adding even more to, and, of course, natural gas. And so we have low-cost power, abundant power, that is attracting the AI data centers,” he said.
ERCOT warns against power grid ‘complacency’
