11-06-2025
Nonprofit fights back after Texas ends in-state tuition for undocumented students
Texas ended in-state tuition for students without legal documentation last week in a quick concession to a Trump administration's lawsuit, but now a San Antonio-based civil rights group has taken the first step to legally restore the 2001 law.
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund filed a motion Wednesday to challenge a judge's decision to enjoin the state from enforcing the Texas Dreamers Act, a 2001 law authorizing in-state tuition for eligible residents.
The federal government sued June 4 alleging that the 2001 act violated federal law that prevents students without legal status from accessing special benefits unavailable to citizens. Texas asked a North Texas district court to strike down the law, joining the Trump administration's suit, and the judge stopped the state from enforcing it.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said last week that he joined the Trump administration's motion to end the "unconstitutional" law. 'Ending this discriminatory and un-American provision is a major victory for Texas," he said.
MALDEF said it is planning to pursue legal status on behalf of Students for Affordable Tuition, a group of students who would have to pay out-of-state tuition four times as high if the judge's ruling holds.
"What happened last week — the invalidation of longstanding state law in the course of one afternoon — was an abuse of our judicial system; those affected by the attempted invalidation have the right to be heard on the legality of the Texas Dream Act," said Thomas Saenez, the president and general council of MALDEF.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas nonprofit fights end to in-state tuition for undocumented students
