Florida bars illegal aliens from taxpayer-funded colleges, delivering another crackdown victory
Florida’s State Board of Education voted Tuesday to prohibit illegal aliens from being admitted to the state’s public college system, marking the latest move by Republican leaders to prioritize legal residents and citizens amid an ongoing national immigration battle.
The board approved the measure by a 6-1 vote, effectively closing enrollment at Florida’s 28 state colleges and adult education programs to individuals residing in the country illegally.
The action follows a series of immigration-related reforms championed by Governor Ron DeSantis and Republican lawmakers, who have steadily pushed Florida toward some of the toughest immigration policies in the nation.
State officials argued that taxpayer-funded educational opportunities should be reserved for those legally entitled to them. “Illegal aliens have no right to attend taxpayer-funded colleges,” DeSantis Communications Director Alex Lanfranconi said following the vote. “Under Governor DeSantis, Florida will put a stop to this.”
The decision builds upon Florida’s 2024 move to eliminate in-state tuition benefits previously available to certain illegal alien students under programs tied to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
The board approved the measure by a 6-1 vote, effectively closing enrollment at Florida’s 28 state colleges and adult education programs to individuals residing in the country illegally.
The action follows a series of immigration-related reforms championed by Governor Ron DeSantis and Republican lawmakers, who have steadily pushed Florida toward some of the toughest immigration policies in the nation.
State officials argued that taxpayer-funded educational opportunities should be reserved for those legally entitled to them. “Illegal aliens have no right to attend taxpayer-funded colleges,” DeSantis Communications Director Alex Lanfranconi said following the vote. “Under Governor DeSantis, Florida will put a stop to this.”
The decision builds upon Florida’s 2024 move to eliminate in-state tuition benefits previously available to certain illegal alien students under programs tied to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
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