Trump signs EO to deter states from offering illegal aliens in-state tuition
President Trump has signed an executive order aimed at prohibiting illegal immigrants from receiving in-state tuition benefits over out-of-state Americans at colleges.
The order, which was signed on Monday, primarily takes aim at states that are home to 'sanctuary cities,' which pledge to protect illegal immigrants from federal officials.
President Trump has signed an executive order aimed at prohibiting illegal immigrants from receiving in-state tuition benefits over out-of-state Americans at colleges and universities.
The order, which was signed on Monday, primarily takes aim at states that are home to “sanctuary cities,” which pledge to protect illegal immigrants from federal officials.
[RELATED: FL universities will be the first to carry out immigration enforcement on campus]
The order also contains a clause that prohibits states from giving preference to illegal immigrants over American citizens; it explicitly mentions policies that prefer in-state illegal aliens over out-of-state citizens for tuition as an example.
The clause reads that the attorney general “shall identify and take appropriate action to stop the enforcement of State and local laws, regulations, policies, and practices favoring aliens over any groups of American citizens that are unlawful, preempted by Federal law, or otherwise unenforceable, including State laws that provide in-State higher education tuition to aliens but not to out-of-State American citizens that may violate 8 U.S.C. 1623 or that favor aliens in criminal charges or sentencing.”
According to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal, 24 states and the District of Columbia allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition. Over 400,000 illegal immigrants are college students in the U.S, according to the portal.
The executive order’s represents the Trump administration’s broader mission to crack down on those who have crossed the border illegally. Notably, Trump’s most recent order claims that many states have been complicit in allowing illegal immigrants to enter the country and remain there.
“[S]ome State and local officials nevertheless continue to use their authority to violate, obstruct, and defy the enforcement of Federal immigration laws. This is a lawless insurrection against the supremacy of Federal law and the Federal Government’s obligation to defend the territorial sovereignty of the United States,” the document says.
In response to the federal government’s recent actions these past few months, several universities have moved to protect illegal immigrants on campus. Administrators at Michigan State University and the University of Maryland have provided resources that guide faculty and students to assist illegal immigrants and keep them from federal officials.
Several universities in California recently warned illegal immigrants about potential Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. ”
Campus Reform has contacted the attorney general’s office for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
