The Arizona Supreme Court ruled that recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program also known as Dreamers are not entitled to receive in-state tuition rates.
Based on the latest statistics released by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the total number of DACA recipients in Arizona is 58,526 as of March 31, 2018.
More than 2,000 DACA recipients pay in-state tuition rates at Arizona community colleges or state universities, according to AZCentral.
On Monday, the justices in the Arizona Supreme Court agreed unanimously to the decision of the court of appeals that existing federal and state laws prohibit Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) Board from granting in-state tuition benefits to DACA recipients.
In a post on Facebook, the Undocumented Students for Education Equity (USEE) at ASA commented that the high court’s decision “will have a damaging effect to DACA students for years to come.”
In 1996, Congress passed Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act (IIRIRA). The law prohibits states from providing in-state tuition rates to undocumented students.
