Texas Dream Act

A federal appeals court rejected a defense of the Texas Dream Act, ending a state law that allowed undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at public colleges. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that federal law prohibits such benefits unless available to all U.S. citizens. Advocacy groups and educational institutions criticized the decision, while Governor Greg Abbott praised it as a legal victory.

A federal appeals court rejected an attempt to restore in-state tuition eligibility for Texas students without legal status. The Texas Dream Act, which allowed such students to qualify for in-state tuition for over two decades, was overturned last year.

Students, immigrant-rights advocates, and Austin Community College are appealing to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to allow them to defend the Texas Dream Act, which permits certain immigrant students to pay in-state tuition. A federal judge blocked the law after the Trump administration and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argued it conflicts with federal immigration law, but advocates claim the law benefits Texas by making college affordable for students educated in the state.

Advocates seek a federal appeals court's permission to challenge the blockage of the Texas Dream Act, which provides in-state tuition to eligible undocumented students. The law was previously blocked last year.

The Texas Dream Act faces a court challenge regarding the restoration of in-state tuition for undocumented students. Students are entering the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at Texas A&M University in College Station.