The Arizona Republic

Race is on to roll back more rights

- Elvia Díaz Columnist Arizona Republic Elvia Díaz is an editorial columnist for The Republic and azcentral. Reach her at 602-444-8606 or elvia.diaz@arizonarep­ublic.com. Follow her on Twitter, @elviadiaz1.

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott just proved that overturnin­g Roe v. Wade isn’t just about abortion rights but uprooting all sorts of legal protection­s.

Up next on his chopping block is a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that required Texas’ public schools to accept undocument­ed children and Arizona’s own anti-immigrant Senate Bill 1070.

There’s nothing hypothetic­al about this anymore.

Abbott, pumped by the looming abortion ruling, said this week he wants the U.S. Supreme to also revisit the 1982 decision known as Plyer v. Doe that denied state funding to undocument­ed students.

What about Arizona’s SB 1070? The Supreme Court also can ditch that ruling, said Abbott, who has made immigratio­n the cornerston­e of his reelection bid.

SB 1070 was signed into law in 2010 and was then considered one of the most restrictiv­e anti-immigrant laws in the nation because it gave the state and local law enforcemen­t ample power to go after those living here illegally.

In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down most provisions but kept a provision allowing local cops to check the immigratio­n status of people stop.

“Either the Arizona decision will have to go – giving states full authority to enforce U.S. immigratio­n laws – or Plyer will have to go,” Abbott said, emphasizin­g that he prefers both legal precedents to be overturned.

What changed? The compositio­n of the court and the fact that five conservati­ve justices are likely willing to toss out the 1973 landmark Roe vs. Wade, say experts and others warning of the fallout if the forthcomin­g ruling stands.

Abbott just proved they’re right to be worried about what’s next in the conservati­ve fight to impose their will over everyone else in today’s America.

Abbott says the feds should pay for the education of children living in the country illegally. But the reality is that overturnin­g Plyer V. Doe would allow public schools to reject undocument­ed children.

Yes, we’re talking about children brought to the U.S. through no fault of their own and who are or should be enrolled in K-12 schools.

Let that sink in for a second.

Abbott wants to keep youngsters on the streets instead of in classrooms.

That’s just insane. What can possibly go wrong with forcing youngsters out of school with nothing to do, right?

Don’t think for a second that Abbott isn’t serious about following through on his desire to overturn immigratio­n legal precedents.

Abbott is just one of the first to get the knives out on this war to strike down all sorts of legal rights if the conservati­ve court guts Roe v. Wade.

 ?? DEBORAH CANNON/AP ?? Texas Gov. Greg Abbott won’t be the first politician to press for even more Supreme Court about-faces, rolling back rights for many.
DEBORAH CANNON/AP Texas Gov. Greg Abbott won’t be the first politician to press for even more Supreme Court about-faces, rolling back rights for many.
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