A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that a community college and advocacy groups cannot reopen a lawsuit that ended the Texas Dream Act and defend in-state tuition for illegal immigrants.
Background
The Dream Act, enacted in 2001, granted in-state tuition rates to illegal immigrants who had lived in Texas for three years before high school graduation. However, Texas ended the practice in June 2025 after an agreement between Gov. Greg Abbott, the U.S. Department of Justice, and state Attorney General Ken Paxton found the law unconstitutional.
In the majority opinion, Judge Jerry Smith agreed with the state and federal government that the practice violated federal law, which prohibits colleges from offering benefits to illegal immigrants unless citizens, including out-of-state residents, are also eligible.
Gov. Greg Abbott praised the ruling on social media, stating that it was a major victory for the rule of law.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
