DOJ Sues Gov. Walz Over Program Favoring Illegal Immigrants Over Citizens
The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the state of Minnesota and Democratic Governor Tim Walz over a program that provides financial aid to undocumented immigrants seeking higher education, escalating a growing legal battle over immigration-related education benefits.
The lawsuit follows similar federal action in other states. The DOJ previously blocked a comparable initiative in Texas by threatening legal action and has also pursued litigation in Kentucky over related policies, according to reports cited by The Blaze.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Minnesota program unfairly disadvantages American citizens. “No state can be allowed to treat Americans like second-class citizens in their own country by offering financial benefits to illegal aliens,” Bondi said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. She added that the Department of Justice had recently prevailed on a similar issue in Texas and intended to pursue the Minnesota case with the same objective of protecting American citizens’ rights.
According to Politico, Minnesota allows undocumented immigrants to qualify for in-state tuition and state financial aid through the Minnesota Dream Act, which was enacted in 2013 under a previous Democratic administration. The DOJ lawsuit argues that the policy creates unequal treatment, particularly because out-of-state U.S. citizens may pay significantly higher tuition than undocumented students who qualify for resident rates.
“The magnitude of this discrimination against U.S. citizens is substantial,” the DOJ said in its filing, noting that resident tuition is often far lower than the rates charged to non-resident U.S. citizens.
The lawsuit also names the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and State Attorney General Keith Ellison as defendants. The legal challenge follows an April executive order issued by President Donald Trump directing federal agencies to identify and eliminate policies that allegedly favor undocumented immigrants over American citizens.
Walz, who served as the Democratic vice-presidential nominee in the party’s unsuccessful 2024 campaign, recently commented that the country “was not ready” for the message he and his running mate promoted during that election cycle.
Meanwhile, Bondi also highlighted a separate legal development on Friday, celebrating a U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting the use of nationwide injunctions by federal judges. The 6-3 ruling, supported by all six Republican-appointed justices, restricts lower courts from blocking presidential policies nationwide, instead limiting rulings to specific parties or jurisdictions.
The decision relates in part to Trump’s executive order restricting birthright citizenship. Under the policy, the administration argues that the 14th Amendment applies only to children born to at least one U.S. citizen or permanent resident. If implemented, the policy could affect an estimated 255,000 babies born annually in the United States to undocumented immigrants or temporary visa holders, according to the Migration Policy Institute.
The Supreme Court is expected to revisit the birthright citizenship issue during its next session beginning in October, potentially setting up another major legal showdown over immigration policy.