MINNESOTA – The Department of Justice has sued the state of Minnesota for providing reduced in-state tuition, and in some cases free tuition for undocumented people.
The Department of Justice says the state is violating the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act former President Bill Clinton signed into law in 1996.
It says someone living in the U.S. illegally can’t be eligible for higher education benefits in the state in which they reside, if the same benefits are denied to American citizens.
In 2013 then Governor Mark Dayton signed the Minnesota Dream Act into law allowing students living in the country illegally to apply for state financial aid at public colleges and universities in the state.
In 2023, Governor Tim Walz signed the North Star Promise into law. It covers tuition and fees for Minnesotans who are going to public colleges and universities in the state if their parents make less than $80,000 per year.
A list of eligibility criteria on the Office of Higher Education’s website doesn’t include citizenship status for the North Star Promise.
Attorney General Pam Bondi argues these Minnesota laws unconstitutionally discriminate against American citizens.
“No state can be allowed to treat Americans like second-class citizens in their own country by offering financial benefits to illegal aliens,” Bondi said, “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.”
Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison are named in the lawsuit. Spokespersons for both men say they’re reviewing the case.
