Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul sought to undercut Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a potential rival for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, by reviving an immigration-related attack used in the 2012 campaign.

Mr. Paul said a Texas law supported by Mr. Perry that grants in-state tuition to undocumented students brought to the U.S. as children is a “beacon” that encourages more illegal immigration. In an interview Monday evening with The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Paul compared the law to President Barack Obama’s decision to offer work permits to some illegal immigrants, and added that both policies have encouraged the current surge of illegal border crossings.xxx