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President Donald Trump's administration filed a lawsuit on Thursday to challenge several state laws in Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington that allow universities to offer discounted tuition and financial aid to students who do not have legal immigration status.
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The Department of Justice (DOJ) argues that federal law prohibits higher education institutions from offering benefits to foreigners that are not offered to U.S. citizens.
Current regulations in the sued states allow state universities to offer reduced in-state resident tuition and scholarships to all students, regardless of their legal status.
In a statement, the DOJ emphasized that such laws unconstitutionally discriminate against U.S. citizens and create incentives for illegal immigration.
In the lawsuit against Arizona, the department cites a report from the 'Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting' which estimates that more than 3,600 undocumented foreigners per year could qualify for resident tuition rates under Arizona law in the coming years.
The lawsuit comes in response to two executive orders signed by President Trump last year that seek to ensure that undocumented immigrants do not obtain tax benefits or preferential treatment.
"By granting resident tuition rates to undocumented foreigners, Washington, Oregon, New Mexico, and Arizona are relegating citizens and ignoring federal law. It's over," declared Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward.
Under the Trump Administration, the Department of Justice has already sued 21 states, including several dominated by Republicans, for this reason.
Last year, the White House achieved a victory in that regard by managing to end a program in Texas, which had allowed since 2001 certain young people who are not U.S. citizens—but who lived in and graduated from high school in that state—to pay the same reduced university tuition as legal residents.
[Publicidad]