The Trump administration’s Justice Department announced Thursday that it has filed lawsuits against four states—Oregon, Washington, New Mexico and Arizona—over statutes that allow illegal immigrants to receive the same higher‑education benefits as lawful residents. The suits claim the state laws conflict with a federal statute that bars illegal immigrants from receiving in‑state tuition, state grants or state‑funded student loans unless those benefits are available to every U.S. student.
Federal law at the center of the dispute
Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the DOJ’s Civil Division said, “This is a simple matter of federal law: Colleges cannot provide benefits to illegal aliens that they do not provide to U.S. citizens.” He added that the department will not tolerate American students being treated as second‑class citizens in their own country.
States sued and the financial impact
The complaint highlights the stark tuition differentials in the four states. For the 2026‑2027 academic year, a Washington resident would pay $13,406 at the University of Washington, while an out‑of‑state student would owe $44,460—a $31,054 gap that illegal immigrants could capture by meeting state residency requirements.
In Arizona, the gap is even larger. The DOJ alleges that in fall 2025, 432 illegal immigrants received in‑state tuition at Arizona State University, resulting in $10.5 million in reduced tuition revenue. A report from the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting estimates that more than 3,600 illegal immigrants each year could qualify for in‑state tuition under current state law.
Other benefits beyond tuition
Oregon’s Rural Nurse Scholars Scholarship, which covers full tuition and a $1,500 travel stipend, is also alleged to be available to illegal immigrants under state law. Washington’s Undocumented Student Support Loan Program, created in 2020, provides financial aid to illegal immigrants who cannot obtain federal assistance.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson responded, “Washington state won’t be bullied into changing how we provide opportunities for young people in our state. We’ll see them in court, and we expect to win.”
Broader legal context
The four new lawsuits bring the total number of states facing DOJ challenges over illegal‑immigrant tuition benefits to 21. The department has previously won cases in Texas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Illinois. Additional suits are pending in Minnesota, Virginia, California, New Jersey, Kansas, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland, Colorado, New York, Connecticut and Vermont.
A June 2024 report estimated roughly 408,000 illegal immigrants were enrolled in U.S. higher‑education institutions, with 29.1 % arriving at age 17 or older. The Trump administration says its actions are aimed at protecting American taxpayers and ensuring that U.S. citizens receive the benefits promised by law.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
