DOJ sues Minnesota over tuition benefits for illegal aliens
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently filed a complaint against Minnesota for giving tuition benefits to immigrants illegally residing in the country.
The DOJ filed the complaint on Wednesday, saying that laws giving scholarships to illegal immigrants 'unconstitutionally discriminate against U.S. citizens.'
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a complaint against Minnesota for giving tuition benefits to immigrants illegally residing in the country.
The DOJ filed the complaint on Wednesday, saying that laws giving scholarships to illegal immigrants “unconstitutionally discriminate against U.S. citizens.”
“No state can be allowed to treat Americans like second-class citizens in their own country by offering financial benefits to illegal aliens,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi about the lawsuit. “The Department of Justice just won on this exact issue in Texas, and we look forward to taking this fight to Minnesota in order to protect the rights of American citizens first.”
The defendants to the suit are Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and the state’s Office of Higher Education.
The lawsuit argues that two Minnesota statutes illegally offer in-state or free tuition to illegal immigrants while denying the same benefits to out-of-state U.S. citizens. The department is seeking a permanent injunction blocking enforcement of the laws as applied to illegal alien students.
“This Court should put an end to this unequal treatment of Americans that is an unequivocal and ongoing violation of federal law by entering a permanent injunction against the enforcement of Minnesota State laws that mandate the grant of unlawful state benefits to aliens not lawfully present in the United States,” DOJ’s complaint asserts.
The DOJ’s lawsuit follows a similar lawsuit filed against Texas on June 4 in which the state’s Dream Act, which similarly provided benefits to illegal alien students, was permanently enjoined after the DOJ filed the complaint.
In that suit, the DOJ joined forces with the Texas Attorney General to kill the legislation in around six hours.
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In April, President Trump signed an executive order, titled “Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens,” taking aim at illegal immigrants receiving in-state tuition, contending that such policies can prioritize non-citizens over out-of-state citizens.
Campus Reform has reported that President Trump has also attempted to block foreign students from attending Harvard University in particular, but a federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction against Trump’s mandate.
Campus Reform has contacted the University of Minnesota for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
