Political Tug of War

       On Thursday Governor Greg Abbott declared on twitter that "Texas will not tolerate sanctuary campuses or cities," Abbott said. "I will cut funding for any state campus if it establishes sanctuary status." This all coming from the recent petitions from students for college campuses to declare their campuses as a "sanctuary campus." In the wake of Donald Trumps victory for the presidential elect, many people fear that undocumented students are in danger of being forced to leave their productive lives as American students. Governor Abbot decided to make the threat on Twitter after students of Texas State University started petitioning for administrators to declare the campus as a sanctuary for immigrant students. While some universities argue that it is not necessary for them to declare it since law actually makes it extremely hard for law enforcement to enter the premises without a warrant or serious reason, the fear in many students is obvious.
       I understand the fear and anger that many undocumented immigrants must have in the wake of Donald Trump winning the election. Its the same fear that I believe many women, minorities, and citizens with morals and values must have after the many obnoxious threats that Donald Trump has made if he is to become president. I also understand the administrators of these campuses feeling the need to support their students in these protest, as much as I understand universities not wanting to put a target on their backs by publicly doing so. What I don't understand is Governor Abbott's need to threaten any person or entity on this matter. If the Universities want to make a stance, as long as there are no laws or regulations being broken, then they should have every right to do so. These campuses should want to protect their students as long as it is done legally and respectfully. Governor Abbott is turning this into a political pissing contest when it is meant to be a fight between the campuses and their students. For the state to threaten the universities rights to take a stance legally is ridiculous. More importantly it goes against the Texas mantra. Texas is a state that prides itself on fighting for our citizens to have the right to govern themselves without national law interfering when they don't need to. How do we then micromanage universities with threats when we have no right to? How does Texas, who was basically stolen from Mexico while also being largely if not mostly Hispanic, not lead the way of finding routes to protect our immigrants. I feel the most sorrow for the actual undocumented people who are in such danger. Its like there is a tug of war between people who don't agree with Donald Trump, and those that do. And the immigrants are what we are pulling apart.