DOJ Joins Effort With Nebraska to Keep Illegal Immigrants from Receiving In-State Tuition
by John Gage
(Photo courtesy of the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office)
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced it was joining an effort with the state of Nebraska to end in-state tuition rates for illegal immigrants. The United States joined Nebraska in filing a consent decree to permanently enjoin Nebraska laws that provide the in-state tuition rates for illegal aliens.
“For two decades, the Nebraska legislature gave preferential treatment to illegal aliens over American citizens,” Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward said Tuesday. “We encourage all States to follow the commonsense correction of Attorney General Hilgers, ceasing any policy that rewards illegal entry into our nation with educational opportunities not available to U.S. citizens.”
The consent decree must now be approved by the court before it can nullify Nebraska law. Governor Jim Pillen and Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers praised the move by the DOJ.
“I am grateful for the combined efforts of President Trump’s Department of Justice and Attorney General Hilgers to deliver this long-overdue correction. This is the latest example of the tremendous partnership between the State of Nebraska and the Trump Administration,” Pillen said.
Hilgers said in a statement that Nebraska’s law was “unconstitutional as it unlawfully extended benefits to illegal immigrants which were not available to American citizens.” “We filed the joint motion with the Department of Justice in order to ensure that this unconstitutional law was permanently enjoined,” he added.
Two bills this year were introduced by State Sens. Bob Andersen and Dave Murman to repeal in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, but received major opposition during their joint hearing.
Soon after the announcement, State Senator Megan Hunt spoke out against the DOJ’s consent decree, saying that the state should not be taking away opportunities from “Nebraska kids.”
“These are Nebraska kids who graduated from Nebraska high schools. They are not ‘taking’ anything from anyone,” Hunt said. “Our state leaders should be investing in young people and building a future workforce. Instead, we are telling kids who did everything right that they do not belong.”
John Gage is the executive editor of The Plains Sentinel.