The US Department of Justice, under the Trump administration, has filed lawsuits against New York, Connecticut and Vermont over state laws that grant in-state college tuition rates to illegal immigrants. The move forms part of a wider push by the administration to challenge Democratic-led states on immigration policy, arguing that such tuition benefits are unlawful when they are not equally available to out-of-state American citizens.

The lawsuits target laws in the three states that allow undocumented students to pay the same discounted tuition as in-state residents at public colleges and universities, rather than higher out-of-state rates. Coverage of the story noted related context from Colorado, where Governor Jared Polis has defended his state's similar in-state tuition policy while clarifying that undocumented students remain ineligible for federal financial aid such as Pell grants or student loans.