"It’s not like there are students waiting in the wings to enroll when others are denied admission.
Florida cannot reach its attainment goal if a shrinking share are enrolling, so it is very much a concern for the state."
Alexander Vallejos, a computer science student at the University of Central Florida who immigrated from South America in 2001, expressed deep disappointment over the sudden barrier to higher education.
"This ruling sends a painful message to young people who have done everything right," he said.
"It tells them that their hard work isn’t enough, and that their dreams are less because of something they have no control over."
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"Behind every policy is a real person, a student’s story, where they’re staying up late to study, a young person working two jobs to pay just to pay for college, a future engineer, teacher, nurse, entrepreneur.
They just want the chance to succeed."
Luisa Santos, an elected member of the Miami-Dade school board who moved to the United States from Colombia as a child, warned of serious ramifications for the state.
"[It’s] everything from the $15m in lost tuition and fees estimated as a result of this, and even our governor getting in his own way of stated goals like Sail to 60, which so many school districts around Florida have worked so hard to try to accomplish," she said.
"What I really want to focus on is how cruel, harmful, and just unnecessary this rule is right now.
