DOJ Sues New Jersey Over In-State Tuition, Aid for Illegal Aliens

It’s part of a series of actions by the Trump administration aiming to prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining taxpayer benefits or preferential treatment.

U.S. Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward leaves a courthouse in Fort Pierce, Fla., on May 22, 2024. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The Justice Department on Thursday filed a complaint in federal court against a New Jersey law that allows in-state tuition rates and financial assistance to illegal aliens, arguing the measures unconstitutionally discriminate against U.S. citizens and violate federal law.

The suit, filed in the District of New Jersey, names as defendants the state of New Jersey, the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, the state’s acting Secretary of Higher Education Margo Chaly, the board of directors of the New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund, and the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education. The defendants did not immediately return a request for comment.