In a powerful demonstration of the America First agenda, the Justice Department (DOJ) under President Trump has escalated its fight for American citizens, filing lawsuits against four more states for granting preferential in-state college tuition, scholarships, and financial aid to illegal aliens. These same benefits are notoriously denied to American citizens living in other states—a blatant affront to fairness and national pride.
The latest complaints, filed Thursday against Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington, seek to block these states from their un-American practice of favoring foreign nationals. This action expands the DOJ's crucial campaign to 21 states targeted for flouting federal law.
The core of the federal challenge is undeniable: federal law explicitly prohibits states from offering higher education benefits to illegal aliens based on residency unless U.S. citizens receive the same treatment, regardless of their home state. Yet, Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington have, for years—and in New Mexico's case, for over two decades—flagrantly disregarded this clear mandate.
Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. minced no words, articulating the deep unfairness at play. “Over 30 years ago, Congress made clear that States cannot put illegal aliens before our Nation’s own citizens,” Woodward declared. “By granting illegal aliens in-state tuition, Washington, Oregon, New Mexico, and Arizona are pushing citizens to the side and ignoring federal law. No more.”
Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Civil Division further hammered the point home. “This is a simple matter of federal law: colleges cannot provide benefits to illegal aliens that they do not provide to U.S. citizens,” Shumate stated. “This Department of Justice will not tolerate American students being treated like second-class citizens in their own country.” And somehow, they still expect Americans not to notice.
The financial impact of these policies is staggering, as highlighted in the Arizona complaint. Citing an investigative report, the DOJ revealed that at least 720 illegal aliens received in-state rates in the fall 2025 semester, with 432 attending Arizona State University (ASU). With a tuition gap of approximately $24,000 between resident and non-resident students at ASU, this single institution alone effectively subsidized illegal aliens with an estimated $10.5 million in reduced tuition. Projections indicate that over 3,600 illegal aliens could qualify annually moving forward, draining resources meant for legitimate American students.
Washington State takes the egregious practice even further, operating a loan program designed specifically for illegal aliens meeting its residency criteria. This program explicitly aims to match benefits citizens receive through federal loans, yet American citizens from other states are barred from applying. The absurdity of prioritizing non-citizens in such a direct manner is a stark reminder of the challenges facing common sense.
This decisive campaign by the Justice Department is a direct fulfillment of an executive order President Trump signed in April 2025, directing the attorney general to dismantle state laws that unjustly favor foreign nationals over American citizens. Since then, the DOJ has systematically worked across the nation, including suing Virginia in December.
With Thursday's filings, the total number of states sued now stands at 21. This follows recent actions against New York, Connecticut, and Vermont. The results are already evident, with five states—including Texas, Nebraska, and Illinois—seeing their discriminatory laws struck down. While a federal judge in Minnesota did dismiss the department’s suit in March, ruling that the federal statute did not override state tuition rules, this isolated setback does not diminish the broader tide of accountability driven by the America First movement.
The public outcry and support for these lawsuits have been overwhelming, with citizens across the nation backing the DOJ’s efforts to restore law and order and ensure that American students are no longer treated as second-class citizens in their own homeland. This is more than just a legal battle; it is a fight for the principle that American citizens come first, a bedrock value that President Trump and his administration continue to champion against all odds.
