Texas Community Colleges Seek to Intervene in Dream Act Repeal Lawsuit

The Texas Dream Act, a 25-year-old law allowing undocumented students to pay in-state tuition if certain criteria are met, was repealed following a June 4 lawsuit filed by the Trump administration's Department of Justice and supported by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who argued the law provided unconstitutional benefits. Austin Community College, along with activist groups such as La Unión del Pueblo Entero, the ACLU Texas, Democracy Forward, and the National Immigration Law Center, is seeking to intervene legally to reinstate the law and defend its constitutionality, citing the significant tuition cost increases for affected students. The repeal has prompted public colleges and universities in Texas to identify undocumented students and charge them out-of-state tuition rates, which can be over four times higher, placing a steep economic burden on these students and institutions. The swift federal-state legal action and settlement, which circumvented legislative repeal efforts, has alarmed advocates who view it as an attack on educational access and civil protections. Austin Community College's Board of Trustees is the first elected state institution body to oppose the repeal publicly, emphasizing the need to protect students and ensure legal clarity. Efforts continue to gain emergency court rulings to prevent harm to students and uphold the Dream Act's provisions.