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Trump admin. sues CA over financial aid for undocumented students
The Trump administration sued California over its policy providing in-state college tuition, scholarships, and state-funded financial aid to undocumented students.
LOS ANGELES - The Trump administration sued California over its policy providing in-state college tuition, scholarships, and state-funded financial aid to undocumented students.
The lawsuit and allegations
What we know:
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, names the state of California, top state officials, and the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) systems as defendants.
The core argument of the lawsuit is that California’s practice harms U.S. citizens and encourages illegal immigration and violates federal immigration laws, aligning with the administration's executive orders directing federal agencies to stop public benefits from going to immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.
What they're saying:
Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated, "California is illegally discriminating against American students and families by offering exclusive tuition benefits for non-citizens... we will continue bringing litigation against California until the state ceases its flagrant disregard for federal law."
"The DOJ has now filed three meritless, politically motivated lawsuits against California in a single week. Good luck, Trump. We’ll see you in court," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in response.
The UC system defended its policies, stating they "believe our policies and practices are consistent with current legal standards," but will comply with the courts' final ruling.
The backstory:
National Trend and Policy
California is not alone in offering these benefits. Half the country now has similar laws to California’s, which are often supported by the argument that they do not violate federal law if they provide the same tuition rates to U.S. citizens who meet the same residency and high school graduation criteria.
The California Dream Act specifically allows these students to apply for state-funded financial aid.
However, the Trump administration has filed similar lawsuits against several states, including Illinois, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Kentucky, and Texas.
Following federal legal action, Texas ended its decades-old law, and Florida scrapped a similar law last year.
Related Legal Battles
This lawsuit is part of a larger legal offensive by the administration against California.
It is the third lawsuit filed against California in one week, alongside challenges to new congressional district boundaries and California laws banning masked federal agents while requiring them to display identification.
The UC system is simultaneously dealing with federal grant suspensions and a White House demand that it pay a $1 billion fine over allegations including illegal consideration of race in admissions and antisemitism at its Los Angeles campus.
By the numbers:
The state’s two public university systems serve a massive and diverse student body:
The CSU system serves more than 460,000 students and is the nation's largest university system. More than a quarter of its undergraduates are first-generation college students.
The UC system serves about 300,000 students.
The Source: This report is based on information provided by the Associated Press (AP) and directly attributes quotes to U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi and California Governor Gavin Newsom's office. Key facts concerning the legal action are confirmed by the filing of the lawsuit itself in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California and defensive statements issued by the University of California system.