Mark Kelly, Ruben Gallego Respond to Trump Administration's Lawsuit Against In-State Tuition for Dreamers

Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) issued a joint statement in response to the Trump Administration filing suit against Arizona for its program allowing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, or "Dreamers," to receive in-state tuition.

The Context

Late last week, the White House sued the Arizona Board of Regents for allowing Dreamers to pay college tuition at the same rate as all other Arizona residents.

Arizona itself authorized this allowance in 2022 via Proposition 308, which the Trump Administration argues violates a 1998 federal law.

Attorney General Kris Mayes responded with a legal opinion stating that the 2022 measure is not based on residency in Arizona and applies only when an individual physically attended a state high school within the past two years and received a state diploma.

As a result, she argued, Proposition 308 does not violate the 1998 federal law in question.

What Kelly and Gallego are Saying

In a joint statement, Sens. Kelly and Gallego commented, "Dreamers are Americans in every way. They grew up here, went to our schools, and are contributing to communities across Arizona. They deserve the opportunity to get an education and build a future in the only country many of them have ever called home. "

They continued, "Making college more expensive for young people who are deeply rooted in America does nothing to fix our broken immigration system or make our country safer. Arizona voters decided to allow these students to pursue an affordable education, and we should respect that decision. We'll keep fighting for them to continue building their lives and futures in Arizona."

The Fate of DACA

June marked the 14th anniversary of DACA's creation, and Representatives Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) and Greg Stanton (D-AZ) acknowledged that DACA's fate remains uncertain amid the Trump Administration's efforts to crack down on illegal aliens in the country.

"I am still hearing so much from my constituents about the delays that they're facing, the processing issues that are happening under the Trump administration, which is creating a lot of fear and a lot of anxiety," said Rep. Ansari.

Similarly, Rep. Stanton said, "ACA filled that space so that people had some level of security in our community. These people who are creating businesses, starting families, teaching in our public schools have every right to a path to citizenship."