In a settlement agreement, the Department of Justice under Trump's administration and the state of Texas have reached an understanding to hinder the implementation of a law that grants in-state tuition rates to undocumented immigrants.
The Trump Administration Takes Aim at In-State Tuition for Texas Undocumented Immigrants
In a significant move, the Justice Department, in cahoots with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, has blocked the state from offering in-state tuition rates to undocumented immigrants residing in Texas. This action, taken on June 4, 2025, follows a lawsuit filed by the same department earlier in the day.
The lawsuit claimed that the Texas law, in place for almost two decades, was unconstitutional. Federal district Judge Reed O'Connor swiftly agreed to the settlement, effectively halting the use of this law permanently.
This legal maneuver is yet another effort by the Trump administration to reshape universities and augment its nationwide immigration crackdown.
In a statement, Paxton said, "Today, I joined forces with the Trump Administration to halt a law that unconstitutionally and unlawfully benefited illegal immigrants, denying the same advantages to American citizens."
The U.S. Attorney General echoed Paxton's sentiments, stating that under federal law, schools cannot provide benefits to illegal immigrants that they do not offer to U.S. citizens.
The now-defunct Texas law permitted undocumented students to qualify for in-state tuition after they had resided in the state for several years, provided they also signed an affidavit indicating their intention to seek legal resident status as soon as possible.
Recent developments suggest that lawmakers in Texas have long been pushing to change this state law. Last month, the state Senate advanced a bill seeking to eliminate the eligibility of undocumented students for in-state tuition and require those previously deemed eligible to pay the difference between in- and out-of-state tuition fees.
This move by the Trump administration has had a significant impact on an estimated 57,000 currently enrolled undocumented students and 197,000 more who were on track to graduate from Texas high schools. The outcome has drastically altered the higher education landscape for undocumented students in Texas, who now face increased tuition costs and barriers.
This story has been updated to include additional developments.
[Enrichment Sparse: The Texas Dream Act had been in place since 2001, benefiting an estimated 197,000 high school graduates and 57,000 currently enrolled students. The Texas legislature has been pushing to change the state's law for some time now, hinting at a potential bill to eliminate the eligibility of undocumented students for in-state tuition.]
The Trump Administration's action to block in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants in Texas is a part of their broader politics and policy-and-legislation agenda to reshape universities and intensify their nationwide immigration crackdown. This change in policy will have significant consequences for the 57,000 currently enrolled undocumented students and 197,000 more on track to graduate from Texas high schools, possibly barring many from higher education due to increased tuition costs.
