Trump DOJ Sues 4 States Over Tuition Benefits for Illegal Immigrants, Expanding Challenge to 21
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 28
Trump DOJ Sues 4 States Over Tuition Benefits for Illegal Immigrants, Expanding Challenge to 21
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 28
Summary
Four new lawsuits filed Thursday target Oregon, Washington, New Mexico and Arizona over laws letting illegal immigrants receive in-state tuition, grants and state-backed student loans.
The Justice Department says federal law bars those higher-education benefits unless they are offered on the same terms to every U.S. student, casting the state programs as unlawful preferences.
Washington’s complaint highlights a $31,054 tuition gap at the University of Washington, while Arizona alleges 432 illegal immigrants at Arizona State received $10.5 million in reduced tuition in fall 2025.
Oregon’s case also reaches beyond tuition, challenging eligibility for a Rural Nurse Scholars Scholarship that covers full tuition plus a $1,500 travel stipend.
The filings raise the number of states facing DOJ challenges to 21; the department says it has already won similar cases in Texas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Illinois.