Immigrant groups respond to undocumented student ban at Florida colleges

Florida’s pro-immigration groups on Thursday blasted a new rule banning undocumented students from state colleges as “cruel” and potentially illegal.

On a Zoom meeting, the coalition of legal entities and advocacy organizations called on the DeSantis administration to reconsider this week’s education change, which outright outlawed state colleges from enrolling undocumented students.

The state Board of Education’s vote came days after Florida’s other top education body, the Board of Governors, moved forward with preventing these students from enrolling in state universities during the 2027-2028 school year.

“Our biggest concern with this rule is, not only is it unnecessary, but is harmful … and likely illegal,” said Alexis Tsoukalas, an immigration and labor analyst with the Florida Policy Institute. She estimated the change could cost the education system roughly $15 million in lost tuition and fees, insinuating that the rule could go against the Florida Constitution.

Although that document demands state officials provide a free public education for students, it’s silent on attendance at higher education institutions.

“The Florida College System is open enrollment — it’s not like there’s students waiting in the wings,” she added. Other Zoom attendees, including Miami-Dade School Board member Luisa Santos, called the change “cruel.”

In a telephone-only board meeting on Tuesday, the State Board of Education — with no debate or discussion from members — voted to require all students admitted to the state’s 28 colleges to be U.S. citizens or “lawfully present in the United States.”

The state colleges, once known as community colleges, must require students to present documentation before enrolling, the Phoenix previously reported.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has led the nation both in crackdowns on undocumented immigration and revamping the higher education system. He was responsible for nixing in-state tuition rates for undocumented college students, banning DEI initiatives, and supporting the country’s first state-run migrant detention center.

Florida’s policies have been mirrored on the national stage by President Donald Trump, who embraced a widespread ban on DEI initiatives and pushed to eliminate temporary protected status for most migrants legally residing within the United States.

In September, Florida’s Board of Governors will vote on whether to ban universities from enrolling undocumented students, as well.