Immigration advocates in Florida have denounced a new regulation that prohibits undocumented students from entering state colleges and universities, describing the directive as cruel and harmful.
The Florida board of education enacted the policy on Tuesday, restricting access across 28 state-funded institutions to individuals who are US citizens or legally present.
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The restriction follows a previous legislative move by Florida last year that eliminated in-state tuition discounts for certain categories of immigrant students.
Critics challenged the legality of the new directive on Wednesday, noting that it was approved by a seven-member board selected by Governor Ron DeSantis rather than the elected state legislature.
Financial analysts estimate that the policy could result in an annual loss of up to $15 million for Florida due to uncollected tuition and associated fees.
Critics Question Legality and Economic Impact
Alexis Tsoukalas, senior analyst of the Florida Policy Institute, said at a press conference hosted by the Florida Immigrant Coalition: "The rule-making process is supposed to implement existing legislation and laws that were passed, not create its own, and not create its own policies, which is exactly what the department is trying to do."
Tsoukalas pointed out that the new rule contradicts the governor's "Sail to 60" initiative, a 2019 policy aimed at raising the percentage of Florida residents holding high-value post-secondary credentials to 60 percent.
"The Florida college system is already struggling with declining enrollment, this has been the case for the past several years, and it’s only gotten worse," she said.
