Overview
- Federal prosecutors filed the case in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, naming the state, senior officials, the University of California and the California State University as defendants.
- The complaint challenges in‑state tuition, state scholarships and state‑funded financial aid for students without legal status, arguing the benefits harm U.S. citizens and encourage unauthorized immigration.
- Attorney General Pamela Bondi said California is illegally discriminating against American students and noted this is the administration’s third lawsuit against the state in seven days.
- UC defended its long‑standing in‑state tuition policy as consistent with current law, while supporters point to the California Dream Act and equal‑treatment criteria to argue the benefits are lawful.
- The lawsuit extends a nationwide push that already prompted Texas to end its policy and followed Florida’s repeal last year, as UC also contends with suspended federal research grants and a separate $1 billion penalty demand.