Skip to content

Judicial Watch, Inc. is a conservative, non-partisan educational foundation, which promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law.

Judicial Watch, Inc. is a conservative, non-partisan educational foundation, which promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law.

Because no one
is above the law!

Donate

Judicial Watch

Corruption Chronicles

Court Says Taxpayers Must Keep Financing Illegal Aliens’ Education

States cannot be prevented from giving illegal immigrants public benefits that aren’t extended to all American citizens, according to a California Supreme Court ruling that’s likely to have nationwide impact.

The case involves discounted tuition at public colleges and universities in the Golden State. For eight years illegal immigrants have benefited from the costly perk and it’s estimated that around 25,000 undocumented students currently receive the discount, which drastically slashes tuition and should be reserved for legal residents who graduate from state high schools.

In 2005 a group of out-of-state students sued California’s public university and community college system for illegally charging them higher tuition and fees than undocumented immigrants. In 2008 the state’s Third District Court of Appeals sided with the students, ruling that federal law prohibits California from granting in-state tuition to persons who lack lawful immigration status unless it grants the same rate to all U.S. citizens, regardless of where they live.

In its ruling the Sacramento-based appellate court cites a 1996 immigration reform law that says a person who is in the country illegally is not eligible for any state or local public assistance, including any postsecondary education benefit. California is one of ten states—including Texas, Utah, Oklahoma and Maryland—that offer illegal immigrants discounted tuition at public colleges.

To preserve the costly benefit for illegal immigrants, California officials appealed despite widespread student protests over huge tuition hikes to offset deep funding cuts. Ruling unanimously in favor of illegal aliens this week, the state’s Supreme Court said California doesn’t violate federal immigration laws that prohibit states from giving illegal immigrants a public benefit not provided to U.S. citizens because the perk is available to both groups. Legal residents and U.S. citizens who graduate from a California high school can also get discounted college tuition, the ruling points out.

Besides, the justices write in their 25-page ruling:“It cannot be the case that states may never give a benefit to unlawful aliens without giving the same benefit to all American citizens.”

 

Related

Biden WH Cover-Up Exposed

Judicial Watch Lawsuit Forces Release of Nashville School Shooter “Manifesto” Records White House Revisions to Biden Special Counsel Interview Transcript Revealed Did Democrat Ariz...

Judicial Watch: FBI Releases Nashville Shooter Manifesto

Press Releases | April 18, 2025
(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it received 112 pages of documents that make up the “manifesto” of the March 27, 2023, shooter at The Covenant School in Tenn...

Judicial Watch obtains emails of Biden WH's proposed revisions to transcript of Robert Hur…

In The News | April 18, 2025
From Just the News: The conservative legal group Judicial Watch on Thursday said it has received 52 pages of documents that show proposed revisions to former President Joe Biden...