Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs proposed in her first State of the State address a $40 million program to help illegal immigrants attend state universities and colleges.
The Democrat suggested expanding the Arizona Promise Scholarship Program, which helps low-income students pay college tuition, to make it available to undocumented immigrant students at public institutions.
"My budget allocates $40 million to create the Promise for DREAMers Scholarship Program to cover all students, regardless of immigration status," Hobbs said, citing Arizona's recently passed Proposition 308, which permits "financial aid for college students regardless of immigration status."
Before voters approved the ballot measure in November, Arizona had banned in-state tuition for illegal immigrants with Proposition 300 in 2006, PolitiFact noted.
However, in 2012 the Maricopa County Community College District began offering some illegal immigrants tuition under former President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
The in-state tuition question underwent a series of legal battles, culminating in the Arizona Supreme Court's 2018 decision that DACA students were ineligible for in-state tuition.
Political tensions and poor enforcement eventually led to the 2022 measure, which overturned the 2006 proposition with a 51.2% to 48.8% vote in favor.
"My administration is ready and willing to work with any member of this Legislature to find additional solutions," Hobbs said. "Let's work together to ensure Arizona's higher education opportunities are the best in the nation and put individuals on the path to future prosperity."
According to Breitbart, roughly 400,000 illegal immigrants are enrolled in U.S. universities and colleges, 182,000 of whom are eligible for DACA benefits. Those students make up a significant portion of the university systems' revenue from foreign students.
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