The Donald Trump administration, which is implementing a massive 'immigrant crackdown', has taken steps to halt certain state policies that provide tuition assistance to undocumented college students. As the Trump administration has filed lawsuits against these states, tuition support for undocumented students is being withdrawn one after another.
The New York Times (NYT) reported on 4th (local time) that 'some states recently terminated financial aid programs for undocumented college students', noting that 'the Department of Justice has challenged the policies of several states that provide in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants, claiming that this action discriminates against U.S. citizens.'
So far, 22 states and Washington D.C. have provided in-state tuition to undocumented students. According to the bipartisan organization 'Presidential Alliance of Higher Education and Immigration', there are currently about 510,000 undocumented students enrolled in U.S. colleges, representing about 2.4% of all students in higher education institutions.
As part of the immigration crackdown, the Trump administration has been filing lawsuits against state governments that have been supporting the tuition of undocumented college students since June. The Department of Justice has challenged the support policies for undocumented college students in Texas, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Oklahoma. On the 2nd, a lawsuit was filed against Illinois for providing in-state tuition and scholarships to undocumented immigrants.
The Trump administration argues that these policies discriminate against U.S. citizens from other states who do not receive 'the same benefits.' Earlier, Attorney General Pam Bondi stated in a press release that 'under federal law, schools cannot provide benefits to undocumented foreigners that are not offered to U.S. citizens', adding that 'we will ensure that U.S. citizens are not treated like second-class citizens.'
Earlier, the Ministry of Education announced in July that it would investigate five universities that awarded scholarships to students in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. At that time, the Ministry of Education also announced that it would suspend subsidies for some educational programs for undocumented immigrants.
Following the Trump administration's crackdown, each state has begun to discontinue support for undocumented college students. Earlier this year, the Florida state legislature eliminated a policy that provided state tuition to undocumented immigrants, and Texas also suspended tuition support after a court deemed the program illegal in June. Recently, in Oklahoma, a judge ruled that a state law allowing financial aid to undocumented students was unconstitutional.
Undocumented college students find themselves in a difficult situation. Berennis, a senior at the University of Texas at Austin, reported that state support has stopped, causing her tuition for one semester to soar from $5,000 (approximately 6.96 million won) to $21,000 (approximately 29.24 million won) this semester. Having crossed the U.S.-Mexico border with her family ten years ago, she said, 'Our parents pay taxes,' adding that 'the policy termination is unfair.'
Voices of concern are emerging from the education sector as well. Michael Clemens, an economist researching immigration issues at George Mason University, stated that 'providing subsidies for higher education leads to various positive effects,' asserting that 'withdrawing in-state tuition benefits from undocumented students will harm the state economy.'
Miriam Feldblum, a representative of the Presidential Alliance for Higher Education and Immigration, also pointed out that if undocumented students are forced to drop out or delay their degree programs due to the Trump administration's actions, university revenues will decrease as well. He noted, 'While the Trump administration has said it will make America stronger and guarantee economic prosperity, this action is having the opposite effect.'