Minnesota public universities can continue offering in-state tuition and scholarships to some immigrants without legal status after a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice, as reported by CBS News.
The ruling on Friday comes after the federal government attempted to halt the programs, which allow students who attended Minnesota high schools for at least three years to access in-state financial benefits.
Newsweek contacted the Department of Justice via email on Saturday for comment.
Why It Matters
The decision highlights ongoing tensions between state governments and the federal administration over immigration policy.
By allowing these programs to continue, Minnesota maintains a pathway for undocumented students to access higher education at the same level as state residents, reinforcing efforts to build a more educated workforce while resisting federal challenges. Similar lawsuits have been filed in other states, making this ruling a potential benchmark for future legal battles.
What to Know
U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez ruled that the federal government failed to prove that Minnesota’s programs discriminated against U.S. citizens. The lawsuit, filed last summer, named Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison, and the state’s Office of Higher Education as defendants.
The Department of Justice argued that the state law unfairly provides in-state tuition and scholarships to students in the country illegally while excluding U.S. citizens who attended schools outside Minnesota.
Menendez said the Justice Department misinterpreted the law, originally passed under Democratic former President Bill Clinton, noting that anyone who attended a Minnesota high school for at least three years is entitled to the same public benefits regardless of residency or immigration status. She also ruled that the federal government lacked standing to sue the governor or attorney general, since neither can change state tuition eligibility laws.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison celebrated the ruling, calling it a victory against efforts by President Donald Trump to reinterpret federal law. He described funding for undocumented students as “an investment for our state to do everything we can to encourage a more educated workforce.”
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi had criticized Minnesota’s policies last year, saying that no state should offer benefits to undocumented immigrants at the expense of U.S. citizens. At least 22 states and the District of Columbia now provide in-state tuition for students living in the U.S. illegally, with 14 states—including Minnesota—also offering scholarships or additional financial aid, according to the National Immigration Law Center.
The lawsuit is part of a wider federal effort, with the Justice Department filing similar challenges in Kentucky and Texas this month. In Texas, a federal judge recently blocked the state’s law giving tuition breaks to undocumented students, following support from Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton.
What People Are Saying
Senior legal affairs reporter for Politico Kyle Cheney announced on X: “A judge has thrown out the Trump administration’s lawsuit against Minnesota over the state’s laws regarding in-state tuition for undocumented students.”
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison as reported by CBS News: “Today, we defeated another one of Donald Trump’s efforts to misconstrue federal law to force Minnesota to abandon duly passed state laws and become a colder, less caring state.”
The United States District Court of Minnesota legal documentation, as seen by Newsweek, states: “As highlighted by the United States in its Complaint, the Resident Tuition Statute does not require lawful presence in the country to qualify for Resident Tuition. Instead, as long as an undocumented non citizen attends a Minnesota high school for three or more years, graduates from a Minnesota high school or attains an equivalent, and provides the required documentation, that individual is eligible for “Resident Tuition.”
Pam Bondi in a statement after the lawsuit was filed last year, as reported by CBS News: “No state can be allowed to treat Americans like second-class citizens in their own country by offering financial benefits to illegal aliens.”
What Happens Next
The decision allows Minnesota universities to continue providing in-state tuition and scholarships to eligible undocumented students while similar federal lawsuits proceed in other states. As courts consider these cases, the outcome may influence policies nationwide and shape the future of higher education access for students without legal status.
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