{"id":2527616,"date":"2025-12-31T20:03:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T01:03:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-sues-virginia-over-tuition-for-illegal-immigrants\/"},"modified":"2025-12-31T20:05:42","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T01:05:42","slug":"doj-sues-virginia-over-tuition-for-illegal-immigrants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-sues-virginia-over-tuition-for-illegal-immigrants\/","title":{"rendered":"DOJ sues Virginia over tuition for illegal immigrants"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdoj-sues-virginia-over-tuition-for-illegal-immigrants%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2527616&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The U.S. Department of Justice has sued the Commonwealth of Virginia, alleging state law unlawfully grants in\u2011state college tuition to students who are not lawfully present in the United States.The complaint seeks a permanent injunction against portions of the virginia Education Code, arguing thay conflict wiht the 1996 Illegal Immigration reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA), which bars states from providing postsecondary education benefits to undocumented aliens if those benefits are denied to U.S. citizens. The DOJ says the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >policy lets unlawfully present students pay<\/a> nearly $40,000 less than out\u2011of\u2011state U.S. residents (for example, University of Virginia in\u2011state tuition was cited as $23,897 vs. $62,923 for out\u2011of\u2011state in 2025-26). Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the practice, and the lawsuit is part of a broader Trump\u2011governance effort, including a February executive order, to prevent taxpayer\u2011funded benefits for individuals without legal status. The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">DOJ sues Virginia over tuition for illegal immigrants<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2459874\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &ndash; The U.S. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-justice\/\">Department of Justice<\/a> filed a&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.vaed.587797\/gov.uscourts.vaed.587797.1.0_1.pdf\">lawsuit<\/a>&nbsp;this week against <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/virginia\/\">Virginia<\/a>, alleging the state unlawfully grants in-state college tuition rates to students who are not legally present in the United States.<\/p>\n<p>The government is seeking a permanent injunction against certain provisions of the Virginia <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/policy\/education\/\">Education<\/a> Code, which it claims conflict with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gov-greg-abbott-texas-must-fight-federal-overreach-biden-showing-extreme-hostility-to-state\/\" title=\"Gov. Greg Abbott: Texas Must Fight \u2018Federal Overreach\u2019; Biden Showing \u2018Extreme Hostility\u2019 To State\">federal immigration law<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4375465\/border-patrol-deployment-chicago-go-on-for-years\/\">Border Patrol&#8217;s monthslong deployment to Chicago now expected to go on &#8216;for years&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4363619\/how-denaturalization-would-work-for-us-citizens-from-somalia\/\">Here&#8217;s how denaturalization would work for US citizens from Somalia<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4375237\/ice-politico-reporter-inciting-violence\/\">ICE accuses Politico reporter of &#8216;inciting violence&#8217; against feds in social media post<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The DOJ argues this policy allows illegal immigrants to access benefits denied to many U.S. citizens, calling the practice &ldquo;not only wrong but illegal.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Federal law prohibits States from providing aliens who are not lawfully present in the United States with any postsecondary education benefit that is denied to U.S. citizens,&rdquo; the lawsuit states. &ldquo;There are no exceptions. Virginia violates it nonetheless.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Congress passed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act in 1996. According to the suit, the law was intended &ldquo;to promote immigrant self-sufficiency, reduce immigrant reliance on public assistance, and ensure that public benefits are not incentives to enter illegally.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This Department of Justice will not tolerate American students being treated like second-class citizens in their own country,&rdquo; Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/justice-department-files-complaint-challenging-virginia-laws-providing-state-tuition-and\">press release.<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Under the current classification, illegal immigrants can pay nearly $40,000 less than Americans who reside in another state, the lawsuit states.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>For example, in the 2025-2026 school year, the University of Virginia charged in-state students $23,897 in undergraduate tuition, while out-of-state students paid $62,923,&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/best-colleges\/uva-6968\/paying#:~:text=University%20of%20Virginia's%20tuition%20is,of%20Virginia%2\">according<\/a>&nbsp;to U.S. News &amp; World Report.<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to challenge state laws that allow individuals without legal status to receive in-state tuition benefits.<\/p>\n<p>In February, President Donald Trump signed an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-releases-list-of-president-trumps-accomplishments-and-it-is-historic\/\" title=\"White House Releases List of President Trump\u2019s Accomplishments \u2013  And It Is Historic!\">executive order directing federal agencies<\/a> to ensure that &ldquo;no <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-gop-outline-failing-democrat-policies\/\" title=\"House GOP outline failing Democrat policies\">taxpayer-funded benefits<\/a> go to unqualified aliens.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The order also called on agencies to prevent states from using public funds to subsidize individuals without legal status and to avoid policies that interfere with deportation efforts.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4379219\/jack-smith-withheld-names-gop-lawmakers-greenlit-phone-records-access\/\">JACK SMITH WITHHELD NAMES FROM JUDGES WHO GREENLIT GOP LAWMAKERS&rsquo; PHONE RECORDS ACCESS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Virginia permits unlawfully present aliens who satisfy the statute&rsquo;s criteria to receive in-state tuition rates, while denying that same benefit to United States citizens who reside outside the Commonwealth,&rdquo; the lawsuit states.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Richmond Division.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DOJ sues Virginia over in-state tuition for migrants<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2869,"featured_media":2527617,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/AP23026630057707.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[7076,4585,21460,40356,5468],"class_list":["post-2527616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-doj","tag-lawsuit","tag-tuition","tag-undocumented-immigrants","tag-virginia"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/AP23026630057707.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2527616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2869"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2527616"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2527616\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2527620,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2527616\/revisions\/2527620"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2527617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2527616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2527616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2527616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}