The U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday that it has filed new lawsuits against four states—Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico and Washington—over laws that allow illegal immigrants to receive in‑state tuition rates and financial aid at public colleges and universities. The filings bring the total number of federal challenges to state tuition policies for illegal aliens to 21.
Federal claim
According to the complaints, the state regulations conflict with federal law because they provide reduced tuition and scholarship benefits to non‑citizens living illegally in the United States, benefits that are not offered to U.S. citizens. The Justice Department is seeking permanent injunctions to stop enforcement of the residency‑based tuition discounts and financial assistance programs in the four states.
Arizona case highlights numbers
The Arizona complaint cites a report from the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting showing that at least 720 illegal students received in‑state tuition during the Fall 2025 semester, including 432 at Arizona State University. With a $24,000 gap between resident and non‑resident tuition at ASU, the department estimates that illegal students received roughly $10.5 million in reduced tuition last year, and up to 3,600 students could qualify each year under the law.
Department officials speak
Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward, Jr. said the action enforces “long‑standing federal prohibitions regarding non‑citizens and state benefits.” He added, “More than 30 years ago, Congress made clear that States cannot put illegal aliens before our Nation’s own citizens. By granting illegal aliens in‑state tuition, Washington, Ore., N.M., and Arizona are pushing citizens to the side and ignoring federal law. No more.”
Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Civil Division emphasized the administration’s stance, stating, “This is a simple matter of federal law: colleges cannot provide benefits to illegal aliens that they do not provide to U.S. citizens. This Department of Justice will not tolerate American students being treated like second‑class citizens in their own country.”
Broader legal effort
The campaign, conducted under Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, has already secured permanent injunctions in Texas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Illinois. Legal challenges remain pending in 12 additional states, including Minnesota, Virginia, California, New Jersey, Kansas, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland, Colorado, New York, Connecticut and Vermont.
The lawsuits reflect the Trump administration’s ongoing commitment to ensure that federal law is applied uniformly and that American taxpayers and students are not disadvantaged by state policies that favor illegal immigrants.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
