The Department of Justice (DOJ) has initiated a lawsuit against Minnesota and Gov. Tim Walz (D) over a state program that provides financial aid to illegal immigrants pursuing higher education.
This lawsuit follows the DOJ’s earlier efforts to block a similar program in Texas through legal threats. The department is also pursuing a related lawsuit in Kentucky, according to a report by The Blaze.
Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the Minnesota program, stating that no state should offer financial benefits to illegal immigrants while treating American citizens as second-class residents.
Bondi emphasized the department’s recent success in Texas on this matter and expressed determination to protect American citizens’ rights in Minnesota as well.
Under the Minnesota Dream Act, enacted in 2013 by a previous Democratic governor, illegal immigrants are eligible for in-state tuition rates and state financial aid, as reported by Politico.
The DOJ lawsuit argues that this program discriminates against U.S. citizens by providing illegal immigrants with lower tuition costs than non-resident American citizens, per the Conservative Brief.
A DOJ statement called the discrimination “substantial” and highlighted the significant tuition cost advantage illegal immigrants receive compared to U.S. citizens who are not in-state residents.
The lawsuit also names the