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Federal Judge Blocks Texas Dream Act and Students Seek Intervention

Undocumented students have asked a judge to let them join the lawsuit that ended their access to in-state tuition.

Students on the University of Texas at Arlington campus in Arlington on Sept. 10, 2024.
The Texas State Capitol is seen in Austin in 2021. A group of students without legal immigration status is seeking to intervene in a lawsuit that suddenly ended their ability to receive in-state tuition at Texas public colleges and universities.
A 2017 rally at the Texas Capitol supported the state law allowing immigrants in the country illegally to pay in-state tuition rates.
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Overview

  • On June 5, a federal judge permanently blocked Texas’s 2001 Dream Act after the state agreed it was unconstitutional.
  • A coalition of affected students filed a motion on June 11 to intervene in the case as they pursue overturning the injunction and restoring lower tuition rates.
  • Without in-state classification, eligible undocumented students now face out-of-state tuition that can exceed $21,000 annually compared with roughly $5,500.
  • Public universities across Texas are racing to determine how to identify impacted students and adjust tuition charges for the fall term.
  • Advocacy groups including MALDEF and state House Democrats are exploring legal and administrative steps to preserve in-state rates for those already enrolled.