Keep Texas Together: Why Every Texan Should Stand Up for Immigrant Families

Texas is strongest when Texans stand together — and that includes the immigrants who help power our economy, enrich our communities, and strengthen the fabric of our state. The Keep Texas Together campaign calls on everyday Texans to push back against harmful myths and misconceptions about immigration and to show public support for immigrant neighbors, workers, parents, students, and friends. By signing the pledge, supporters affirm a simple truth: Texas thrives when we protect the people who make Texas home. TAKE ACTION NOW and add your name to the Keep Texas Together Pledge if you believe in strong families, strong communities, and a strong future for our state.

Click here to sign the pledge

The campaign website includes a section “Combat the myths” that tackles common false narratives around immigration:

• Myth: “Immigrants commit more crimes than U.S. citizens.” Reality: Immigrants—including undocumented immigrants—are less likely to commit crimes than the U.S. citizens. When comparing crime data and demographic data from 1980 to 2022, as immigrant populations grew, crime rates declined across the country. In Texas – the only state tracking arrest data by immigration status – undocumented immigrants are arrested at rates significantly lower than U.S.-born citizens. Learn more here.

• Myth: “In-state tuition for undocumented students costs Texas.” Reality: For 24 years, Texas’ Dream Act allowed undocumented students who grew up here and graduated from Texas high schools to pay the same tuition as their classmates. This policy didn’t take seats or strain resources—it strengthened our economy. With the Texas Dream Act repealed, Texas stands to lose over $461M per year in lost wage earnings and decreased spending power. 

• Myth: “Immigrants take away jobs from U.S. citizens.” Reality: Immigrants often fill jobs that U.S. citizen workers are unwilling to take like in the agricultural, meat packing, and construction industries including jobs that involved night shifts, long hours, or physical labor. According to the National Academy of Sciences, in the U.S., immigrant workers make up 17% of the workforce, but contribute 25% of GDP growth. Learn more here.

• Myth: "Immigrants don't contribute to our state or country." Reality: More than 5.1 million immigrants call Texas home—driving growth, powering industries, and enriching every corner of our communities. They pay $50.3 billion in taxes each year at the local, state, and federal levels, funding public services and infrastructure we all rely on. With $156.3 billion in spending power, immigrants strengthen our economy, including Texas’ nearly 1.9 million undocumented residents, who contribute $12 billion in taxes annually. Learn more here.

• Myth: "Immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers enter the U.S. without proper vetting, posing a security risk." Reality: Refugees, CBP One users, parolees, and Temporary Protected Status recipients all undergo some form of government review or screening before being admitted to or allowed to remain in the United States. This may include background checks, security screenings, and eligibility reviews.

• Myth: “Immigrants don’t integrate or assimilate.” Reality: Immigrants often fill jobs that U.S. citizen workers are unwilling to take like in the agricultural, meat packing, and construction industries including jobs that involved night shifts, long hours, or physical labor. According to the National Academy of Sciences, in the U.S., immigrant workers make up 17% of the workforce, but contribute 25% of GDP growth. Learn more here.

• Myth: "If you entered the U.S. illegally, you cannot apply for asylum." Reality: U.S. asylum law allows people to apply for asylum regardless of how they entered the country. Crossing the border illegally does not make someone ineligible for asylum.

• Myth: "There is an “invasion” at the southern border." Reality: The border operates under established, orderly processes, and encounters today rise and fall within historical ranges, including peaks in the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. Many arriving are exercising their legal right to request asylum under U.S. and international law. Despite this, some continue to push the false “invasion” narrative — rhetoric that has real consequences, fueling violence in places like El Paso, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh, where attackers used it to justify their actions. This language distorts the facts and dehumanizes people who are simply seeking safety and stability. 

• Myth: “Refugees/undocumented immigrants are a drain on the economy.” Reality: Undocumented immigrants, including DACA holders, are ineligible to receive most federal public benefits like SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, and TANF. Legal immigrants, like green-hard holders, use federal public benefits programs at lower rates than U.S.-born citizens. Learn more here.