Florida's state board of education, appointed by hard-right Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, voted on Tuesday to bar undocumented students from attending the state's 28 public colleges and universities. The new rule restricts admission to U.S. citizens or those "lawfully present" in the country, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from immigration advocates and some lawmakers.
Details of the Ban
The decision follows Florida's 2023 elimination of in-state tuition discounts for certain immigrant students. The board's seven members, all selected by DeSantis, approved the policy without legislative input, raising legal questions. Opponents argue the board overstepped its authority by creating policy rather than implementing existing laws.
Alexis Tsoukalas, senior analyst at the Florida Policy Institute, stated: "The rule-making process is supposed to implement existing legislation and laws that were passed, not create its own policies, which is exactly what the department is trying to do."
Economic and Educational Impact
Analysts estimate the ban could cost Florida up to $15 million annually in lost tuition and fees. Tsoukalas noted that the state college system has faced declining enrollment for years, and the ban could worsen the trend. She highlighted the contradiction with DeSantis's 2019 "Sail to 60" goal, which aimed to increase the percentage of Florida residents with post-secondary education from below 50% to at least 60%.
"Florida cannot reach its attainment goal if a shrinking share are enrolling," Tsoukalas said during a press conference hosted by the Florida Immigrant Coalition.
Personal Stories of Affected Students
Alexander Vallejos, a computer science student at the University of Central Florida and a so-called Dreamer, criticized the rule as cruel. He came from South America with his family in 2001 at age one. "This ruling sends a painful message to young people who have done everything right," he said. "It tells them that their hard work isn’t enough, and that their dreams are less because of something they have no control over."
Luisa Santos, an elected member of the Miami-Dade school board who immigrated from Colombia as a child, emphasized the human cost. "What I really want to focus on is how cruel, harmful, and just unnecessary this rule is right now," she said. "These rule changes took me back to the darkest days of high school, where I felt the world caving in on me."
Political Reactions
Republican state senator Don Gaetz supported the ban, stating: "The policy issue is: should illegal aliens receive taxpayer-funded higher education in Florida? And in my view, the answer to that question should be no." He indicated he would file legislation to codify the board's decision into law.
Democratic state representative Anna Eskamani, who is running for Orlando mayor, denounced the policy during public comments at Tuesday's board meeting. "The attempt to restrict a child’s access to higher education based on the documentation status that is no fault of their own is un-American, it’s unfaithful, and it’s absolutely also constitutionally concerning because we did not pass legislation on this matter," she said.
