Trump administration challenges undocumented student tuition and birthright citizenship

The Trump administration is engaged in a multi-front legal and policy campaign targeting the rights of undocumented immigrants and their families. The Justice Department has filed lawsuits against Washington, D.C., and three states to invalidate policies that allow undocumented students to access in-state tuition rates. If successful, these lawsuits could cause tuition costs for over 200,000 students to increase significantly; for example, at the University of Utah, nonresident rates are more than triple the resident rate.

Simultaneously, the administration continues to challenge birthright citizenship. Although the Supreme Court struck down Executive Order 14160 in Trump v. Barbara—ruling that the 14th Amendment’s citizenship guarantee applies to nearly everyone born on U.S. soil—the administration maintains that children of temporary visa holders and undocumented immigrants are not ‘subject to the jurisdiction’ of the United States. This legal battle has created significant uncertainty for immigrant communities regarding the citizenship status of future generations.