Trump escalates feud with Pritzker over undocumented students' tuition policy
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Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker talks near Trump Tower in Chicago. Photo: Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
The Justice Department sued Illinois and Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday in a bid to force the state to end a policy that allows undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at public colleges.
Why it matters: The lawsuit escalates the long-running feud between Pritzker and Trump, which has gotten worse in recent weeks as the president continuously threatens to deploy federal troops to the state to combat crime and expand immigration raids.
What's inside: The complaint, filed in the Southern District of Illinois, claims that Illinois is discriminating against citizens by offering tuition and scholarship benefits to undocumented students but not to all U.S. citizens.
- The lawsuit says Illinois' laws conflict with federal regulations and therefore violate the Constitution's Supremacy Clause, which says federal laws take precedence over state laws when they conflict.
What they're saying: "President Trump was elected on his platform to put America First and he's keeping his promise by filing lawsuits like these to ensure taxpayer funds go directly to the education of American citizens," White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Axios in a statement.
The other side: "While the Trump Administration strips away federal resources from all Americans, Illinois provides consistent and inclusive educational pathways for all students," a spokesperson for Pritzker told Axios.
- "All Illinoisans deserve a fair shot to obtain an education and our programs and policies are consistent with federal laws."
- A spokesperson for Illinois' attorney general told Axios that the office was "reviewing the case" and doesn't have "further comment."
Catch up quick: The DOJ successfully sued Texas into ending its decades-old in-state tuition policy for undocumented students in June, reshaping access to higher education for thousands of undocumented Texans.
- The DOJ filed similar lawsuits against Minnesota and Kentucky.
- Other Republican-led states, such as South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and Missouri, actively block access to in-state tuition or state financial aid, according to data compiled in the Higher Ed Immigration Portal.
Between the lines: Without the in-state tuition benefits, undocumented immigrants would have to pay out-of-state or international rates at public schools. That could make higher education inaccessible for the 850,000 children under 18 who are undocumented in the country.
Zoom out: The suit is another legal battle between Pritzker and Trump as Chicago prepares for National Guard troops to arrive in the city by the end of the week, against the governor's objections.
- Despite Trump's threats, Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have doubled down on the state and city's sanctuary city policies, which offer protections to undocumented people by barring local police from assisting federal law enforcement activity without a criminal warrant.
Go deeper: Chicago braces for ICE raids and possible troop deployment
Editor's note: This story has been updated with a response from the offices of the llinois governor and attorney general.
