Reference News Network, November 23 report. According to the Associated Press on November 21, the Trump administration has sued California for providing in-state university tuition discounts, scholarships, and federal financial aid to undocumented students.

On the 20th, the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California stated that this action harms the interests of American citizens and encourages illegal immigration. The defendants include the California government, senior state officials, and two public university systems in California - the University of California and the California State University system.

The Trump administration has also filed similar lawsuits against other states, including Illinois, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Kentucky, and Texas. Now, half of the states across the country have similar laws.

In June, after the Trump administration filed a lawsuit, Texas ended its law that had been in place for decades. Additionally, Florida previously allowed undocumented high school graduates to pay in-state tuition, but abolished the law last year.

Supporters of in-state tuition reductions argue that if the same tuition standards are applied to U.S. citizens under the same circumstances, it does not violate federal law - meaning these undocumented students are residents of the state and are graduates of high schools. The California Dream Act also allows these students to apply for federally funded financial aid.

Many of these students were brought to the United States by their parents when they were young. Supporters of this law say these students are part of their communities just like U.S. citizens.

This is the latest move taken by the Trump administration since February, when an executive order was issued requiring federal agencies to stop providing public benefits to immigrants living illegally in the United States, and challenging state and local policies seen as favoring undocumented immigrants. The lawsuit states that this Republican president's executive order is enforcing federal immigration law.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement: "California's unique tuition discounts for non-residents are an illegal discrimination against American students and families. This is the third lawsuit we've filed against California in a week - we will continue to sue California until the state stops its blatant disregard of federal law."

The Department of Justice has also recently filed a lawsuit to block California voters from approving new congressional district boundaries, and another lawsuit regarding California's new law banning federal law enforcement officers from wearing masks while performing tasks in California (and requiring them to carry identification).

The office of California Governor Gavin Newsom stated: "The Department of Justice has filed three lawsuits against California this week that are without legal basis and politically motivated. Trump, good luck. We'll see you in court."

The University of California has defended its decades-old in-state tuition policy. In a statement, the university said: "While we will comply with the legal rulings of the courts, we believe our policies and practices meet the current legal standards."

Earlier this week, the California Supreme Court upheld the lower court's ruling that the University of California's policy of prohibiting students without legal status in the U.S. from working on campus is discriminatory and must be reconsidered.

University system officials warned that this decision would put them in a precarious position when negotiating with the Trump administration, following the withdrawal of federal research funds.

Currently, the University of California's federal funding has been suspended, and the White House has also demanded the University of California pay a $1 billion fine due to anti-Semitism and illegally considering race when enrolling students at the Los Angeles campus.

The California State University system is one of the largest and most diverse systems in the United States, with over 460,000 students. The University of California system has approximately 300,000 students. (Translated by Xu Yanhong)

University of California, Los Angeles (AP photo)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7575781309159653923/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author. Please express your opinion by clicking on the 【top/down】 buttons below.