DOJ Sues Tim Walz Over Minnesota Program That Aids Illegal Immigrants Pursuing Higher Education

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has initiated a lawsuit against Minnesota and Gov. Tim Walz (D) over a state program that provides financial aid to illegal immigrants pursuing higher education.

This lawsuit follows the DOJ’s earlier efforts to block a similar program in Texas through legal threats. The department is also pursuing a related lawsuit in Kentucky, according to a report by The Blaze.

Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the Minnesota program, stating that no state should offer financial benefits to illegal immigrants while treating American citizens as second-class residents.

Bondi emphasized the department’s recent success in Texas on this matter and expressed determination to protect American citizens’ rights in Minnesota as well.

Under the Minnesota Dream Act, enacted in 2013 by a previous Democratic governor, illegal immigrants are eligible for in-state tuition rates and state financial aid, as reported by Politico.

The DOJ lawsuit argues that this program discriminates against U.S. citizens by providing illegal immigrants with lower tuition costs than non-resident American citizens, per the Conservative Brief.

A DOJ statement called the discrimination “substantial” and highlighted the significant tuition cost advantage illegal immigrants receive compared to U.S. citizens who are not in-state residents.

The lawsuit also names the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and State Attorney General Keith Ellison as defendants.

The case aligns with an executive order issued by then-President Donald Trump in April directing federal agencies to identify and eliminate policies that favor illegal immigrants over U.S. citizens.

Governor Walz, who was the Democratic vice-presidential nominee in the 2024 election, has said that the nation was not ready for the political message he and his running mate advocated.

Separately, Attorney General Bondi celebrated two major victories for the DOJ at the U.S. Supreme Court on the same Friday.

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to limit the use of nationwide injunctions by federal judges. These injunctions have been used to block executive actions of President Trump across the entire country.

The decision curtails judges’ ability to issue sweeping bans that prevent enforcement of laws or policies nationwide rather than limiting them to specific parties or districts.

This ruling significantly hampers efforts by opponents to legally challenge Trump’s executive orders, many of which had been halted by lower courts through nationwide injunctions.

Nationwide injunctions had previously blocked various policies, including Trump’s early executive order attempting to restrict birthright citizenship.

Legal analyst Margot Cleveland explained that the Supreme Court’s ruling allows Trump’s birthright citizenship order to take effect in parts of the country by restricting federal courts’ power to impose nationwide blocks.

Following the ruling, Bondi predicted that the Supreme Court would likely resolve the birthright citizenship issue during its next session starting in October.

The court heard oral arguments in May after three lower courts had issued nationwide injunctions against implementing Trump’s order.

Trump’s executive order stated that the 14th Amendment’s citizenship guarantee applies only to children born to at least one parent who is a citizen or lawful permanent resident.

If enforced, the policy could deny U.S. citizenship at birth to about 255,000 babies born annually to illegal immigrants or temporary visa holders, according to estimates from the Migration Policy Institute.

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