Karina Onofre

DOJ files suit against state over scholarship eligibility for undocumented students

On Aug. 27, the United States Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the New Mexico Higher Education Department and its acting Executive Officer, Stephanie Rodriguez, for “offering in-state tuition to immigrants.”  In the lawsuit, the DOJ claims New Mexico’s Senate Bill 582 and its non-discrimination principle “extend eligibility for in-state tuition benefits and financial aid at New Mexico colleges to illegal aliens while denying those benefits to U.S. citizens from other states.” SB 582 and its related policy “prohibit[ed] denial of admission or eligibility for education benefits on account of immigration status.” The lawsuit was filed in conjunction with three others sent to western U.S. states, including Washington, Arizona and Oregon, according to a DOJ Office of Public Affairs press release.