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President Donald Trump’s United States Lawyer Normal Pam Bondi is transferring to dam a controversial Illinois legislation just lately signed by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker extending pupil monetary help, together with in-state tuition charges and scholarships, to unlawful immigrants.
In a Tuesday assertion, the Justice Division introduced it had filed a criticism within the Southern District of Illinois towards the state, Pritzker, Lawyer Normal Kwame Raoul, additionally a Democrat, in addition to the boards of trustees of Illinois state universities.
The DOJ is searching for to dam the state from enacting its legal guidelines granting unlawful immigrants monetary help, which the DOJ is claiming violates federal legislation by unconstitutionally discriminating towards U.S. residents.
In its criticism, the DOJ states that “federal legislation prohibits offering aliens not lawfully current in the USA with any post-secondary training profit on the idea of residency until that profit can also be obtainable to United States residents and nationals no matter their residency.”
Due to this, the criticism alleges that Illinois’ legislation is a “blatant and ongoing violation of federal legislation.”
‘NONSENSICAL’ ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TUITION POLICY SCRAPPED IN KENTUCKY, BONDI LAWSUIT DEAL
U.S. Lawyer Normal Pam Bondi and the DOJ are difficult Illinois legal guidelines granting pupil monetary help to unlawful immigrants. Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a legislation in August extending pupil monetary help eligibility to illegals. (Jason C. Andrew/Bloomberg by way of Getty Pictures and Anna Moneymaker/Getty Pictures)
Within the DOJ assertion, U.S. Lawyer Steven Weinhoeft for the Southern District of Illinois commented that “Illinois has an obvious need to win a ‘race to the underside’ because the nation’s main sanctuary state.”
Weinhoeft mentioned that Illinois’ “misguided method mandating in-state tuition, scholarships, and monetary help to unlawful aliens plainly violates federal legislation” and that “this coverage treats unlawful aliens higher than U.S. residents dwelling in different states and incentivizes much more unlawful immigration, all on the taxpayer’s dime.”
“Illinois residents deserve higher,” he mentioned.
Bondi commented that “this Division of Justice has already filed a number of lawsuits to stop U.S. college students from being handled like second-class residents — Illinois now joins the checklist of states the place we’re relentlessly combating to vindicate federal legislation.”
In response to the criticism, a spokesperson for Pritzker’s workplace advised Fox Information Digital that “that is yet one more blatant try and strip Illinoisans of sources and alternatives.”
“Whereas the Trump Administration strips away federal sources from all People, Illinois supplies constant and inclusive instructional pathways for all college students – together with immigrants and first-generation college students – to entry help and contribute to our state,” mentioned the spokesperson. “All Illinoisans deserve a good shot to acquire an training and our packages and insurance policies are in step with federal legal guidelines.”
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Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, heart, speaks; flanked by Mayor Brandon Johnson, proper. (Scott Olson/Getty Pictures)
In August, Pritzker, who’s a rumored 2028 Democratic presidential contender, signed a invoice into legislation opening pupil monetary help to all Illinois residents, no matter immigration standing, opening a pathway for unlawful immigrants residing within the state to obtain instructional monetary advantages.
The invoice purports to ascertain “equitable eligibility for monetary help and advantages” for all college students within the state.
The invoice reads that “a pupil who’s an Illinois resident and who just isn’t in any other case eligible for federal monetary help, together with, however not restricted to, a transgender pupil who’s disqualified for failure to register for selective service or a noncitizen pupil who has not obtained lawful everlasting residence, shall be eligible for monetary help and advantages.”
The legislation has been closely criticized by mother and father within the state.
In an interview with Fox Information Digital, Michelle Cunney, an Illinois mom and native Mother and father’ Rights in Schooling chapter chief, referred to as the brand new legislation a “nightmare.”
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE brokers stroll down a road throughout a multi-agency, focused enforcement operation in Chicago, Illinois, on Jan. 26, 2025. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg by way of Getty Pictures)
“To be sincere, it is terrifying that not solely are we having to pay for this, as you recognize, tax-paying residents … But additionally, as mother and father, not figuring out the way it will actually actually find yourself affecting our kids and their training,” defined Cunney.
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She mentioned that below Pritzker’s management, “we all know that the youngsters who are usually not right here legally will get … extra of an opportunity and a chance to get scholarships and all the pieces than our kids, as a result of to Pritzker, and so many others, we aren’t vital. We aren’t something aside from cash.”
A spokesperson for Raoul’s workplace advised Fox Information’ Digital the workplace is “reviewing the case and don’t have any additional remark.”
