DOJ Sues Gavin Newsom for Granting Tuition Benefits to Illegal Aliens

The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit Thursday against California Gov. Gavin Newsom over a state policy that allows illegal immigrants to receive in-state college tuition benefits, marking the third federal action taken against the governor in the span of a week, as reported by Fox News.

The complaint, filed in the Eastern District of California, challenges provisions of the state’s education code that the DOJ says unlawfully grant benefits to individuals living in the country illegally while placing out-of-state U.S. citizens at a financial disadvantage.

Justice Department attorneys argued in the filing that California’s policy results in “unequal treatment” and is “squarely” at odds with federal law.

Federal statute prohibits states from providing residency-based tuition benefits to individuals living in the United States unlawfully unless the same benefits are made available to U.S. citizens, regardless of where they live.

The department’s lawsuit asserts that California is violating that requirement by making in-state tuition available to undocumented students while out-of-state citizens are required to pay higher rates.

The federal action against California is part of a broader effort by the Justice Department, which has brought similar lawsuits in other states.

Minnesota is currently fighting one such lawsuit, though that case was delayed for weeks during the recent government shutdown.

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Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, a Democrat, has moved to dismiss the DOJ complaint, arguing the department’s interpretation of federal law is incorrect and that U.S. citizens do have equal access to the benefits offered to undocumented students.

Newsom faced two other federal lawsuits this week. One challenge was filed over a newly passed California ballot measure that allows the state legislature to adopt a congressional map shifting five districts toward Democratic control.

Earlier this week, the DOJ sued over legislation California enacted in September that prohibits immigration officials from wearing masks that hide their identities.

A spokesperson for Newsom criticized the series of lawsuits, characterizing them as politically driven.

“The DOJ has now filed three meritless, politically motivated lawsuits against California in a single week. Good luck, Trump. We’ll see you in court,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

A DOJ official defended the actions taken against the nation’s most populous state, telling Fox News Digital that the department is acting within its authority.

“From racial gerrymandering, to undermining law enforcement, to discriminating against American students, Newsom has flagrantly disregarded federal law in his quest to ruin California,” the official said.

“We will see him in court as many times as necessary.”

The federal government has not yet indicated when hearings will begin on the tuition-benefit lawsuit, and California has not formally filed its response in court.

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