The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, continues to toughen his immigration policies with the approval of a new law that directly hits thousands of immigrant students. As of 1 July, those without legal status will have to pay three times more for their university tuition after the elimination of the ‘in state tuition’ programme.
More than 40,000 Dreamers at Risk from DeSantis’ Decision
The impact of the measure will fall on more than 40,000 dreamers who until now were eligible for reduced rates if they could prove they had resided in the state for at least 12 months or graduated from a local high school. With the entry into force of SB-2C, these young people will be considered foreign students, which will drastically increase the cost of their studies.
Miami Dade College, for example, charges $3,457 annually to Florida residents, but the fee for foreign students is $11,985, according to the Florida Policy Institute.
A Move with Negative Economic Impact
DeSantis‘ decision affects not only students, but also universities. It is estimated that educational institutions will lose at least $15 million due to the outflow of students who will not be able to afford the new tuition.
Despite the restrictions, DACA recipients remain an economic mainstay for the state. Data from the Florida Policy Institute indicates that these students contribute $134.8 million in state and local taxes.
Criticism of Ron DeSantis’ Decision
The elimination of the programme has been widely criticised by immigrant advocacy organisations, who point to DeSantis‘ lack of sensitivity to the plight of thousands of young people seeking higher education.
AFSC policy coordinator Yareliz Méndez Zamora warned that universities will have to review the status of these students and withdraw the benefit, which could lead to a significant drop in university enrolment.
Another point that has generated controversy is that DeSantis included the elimination of in-state tuition in legislation that toughens penalties for undocumented immigrants with criminal records. This link has been interpreted as an indirect criminalisation of dreamers and a political strategy by the governor in his anti-immigration stance.
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