Illegal immigrants in Texas will no longer receive in-state tuition discounts after a fast-moving federal lawsuit brought by the Trump administration led to an immediate court ruling. The move reverses a 24-year-old policy and marks a major shift in how the state treats illegal residents in higher education.
Key Facts:
- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton supported a DOJ lawsuit challenging in-state tuition for illegal immigrants.
- Federal Judge Reed O’Connor ruled the practice unconstitutional under the Supremacy Clause.
- Illegal immigrants attending Texas A&M will now pay about $28,000 more per year.
- The policy, dating back to 2001, was initially supported by both Democrats and Republicans.
- Other states like Florida have recently moved to end similar tuition discounts.
The Rest of The Story:
This policy reversal unfolded rapidly.
Within hours of the Trump administration’s DOJ filing its complaint in federal court, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a motion siding with the federal government.
That same day, Judge Reed O’Connor ruled that offering tuition discounts to illegal immigrants while denying them to out-of-state U.S. citizens violated the Constitution.
“This discriminatory and un-American provision is a major victory for Texas,” Paxton stated.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi reinforced that federal law forbids giving benefits to illegal immigrants that are not available to American citizens, emphasizing the DOJ’s role in enforcing equal treatment under the law.
Texas had been the pioneer of in-state tuition for illegal aliens in 2001, when it passed the so-called Texas Dream Act.
The bipartisan bill received support from nearly every state lawmaker and then-Governor Rick Perry.
But attitudes have changed over the years, and recent moves in states like Florida indicate a growing national shift away from such perks.
Commentary:
This ruling is long overdue.
Taxpayers should not be subsidizing the education of people who broke the law to enter or stay in the United States.
The idea that someone in New Mexico or Oklahoma pays more to attend a Texas college than someone in the country illegally never made any sense.
America cannot reward lawbreaking with benefits, especially benefits funded by hardworking citizens.
There is nothing compassionate or just about treating illegal aliens better than legal residents of other states.
The rule of law must come first.
Ken Paxton’s quick response shows leadership and a willingness to stand firm where others have wavered.
The Texas Dream Act may have had bipartisan support in 2001, but times have changed.
The federal government under President Trump is once again holding states accountable for defying national immigration law.
The savings involved here are not small.
Illegal immigrants were receiving discounts of nearly $30,000 per year in some cases.
That’s an enormous burden to put on Texas taxpayers, especially at a time when college affordability is a major issue for many law-abiding families.
If someone is in this country illegally, they should be facing deportation—not receiving taxpayer-funded discounts to attend premier universities.
Other states still offering these perks need to be challenged, too.
This is a major win for fairness and national sovereignty.
No other country in the world would dream of subsidizing college tuition for illegal aliens.
Why should the United States be the exception?
It’s time for states to follow Texas’s lead and roll back similar laws.
Illegal immigrants should not be rewarded.
We can show compassion while still respecting the law—but that means ending taxpayer-funded giveaways.
The Bottom Line:
Texas has officially ended in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, thanks to a joint effort by the Trump administration and state Attorney General Ken Paxton.
A federal court ruled the policy unconstitutional, marking a major win for those demanding equal treatment for U.S. citizens.
This shift sends a clear message: states can no longer bypass federal law to hand out benefits to those in the country illegally.
The days of rewarding illegal entry with taxpayer perks are numbered.
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