This country is being taken advantage of. And it needs to end.
Now Trump’s Justice Department sued this state over enormous amounts of fraud.
Federal Action Targets Virginia Tuition Policy
The Department of Justice, led by the Trump administration, filed a lawsuit against Virginia on December 29, 2025, challenging state provisions that extend in-state tuition rates and financial aid to individuals unlawfully present in the country.
The 13-page complaint, submitted in federal court in Richmond, asserts that these measures conflict with national immigration statutes by granting advantages unavailable to many American citizens.
DOJ attorneys declared in the filing: “This is not only wrong but illegal.” They further stated: “The challenged act’s discriminatory treatment in favor of illegal aliens over citizens is squarely prohibited and preempted by federal law.”
The suit emphasizes: “In doing so, Virginia confers a residence-based tuition benefit on unlawfully present aliens that is not available to United States citizens on equal terms, in contravention of 8 U.S.C. § 1623(a).”
Attorney General Pam Bondi reinforced the position, noting the administration’s commitment to ensuring American students are not disadvantaged in access to educational opportunities.
Legal Grounds and State Provisions
Virginia’s code permits public colleges to offer reduced in-state rates to students establishing residency for one or two years, explicitly barring disqualification based on immigration status. This often benefits recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
The federal challenge invokes 8 U.S.C. § 1623(a), part of the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, which bars states from providing postsecondary benefits to unlawfully present individuals unless equally available to all U.S. citizens regardless of residence.
This case builds on Trump’s early executive orders aimed at preventing taxpayer-funded preferences for those without lawful status, part of a broader effort to prioritize citizens in public resource allocation.
Broader Campaign and Political Timing
The Virginia suit joins a series of similar actions, including against Texas (where a judge blocked the policy and the state reached agreement), Kentucky, Oklahoma (both resolved via consent), and ongoing cases in Illinois and California.
Filed as Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin prepares to depart office next month, with Democrat Abigail Spanberger set to succeed him alongside a new attorney general, the timing underscores the administration’s push to resolve such disputes swiftly.
The DOJ seeks a permanent injunction to halt enforcement of the contested provisions, advancing priorities of fair application of federal law and protection of citizen interests in education.
