The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit Thursday against the state of Colorado, challenging the state’s Advancing Students for a Stronger Tomorrow (ASSET) Law.
Colorado’s ASSET law was initially passed in 2013 and revised in 2022 to expand higher education opportunities to more Colorado students across the state and remove barriers that prevent many immigrant students who are undocumented from seeking higher education.
Colorado is the 14th state to face a lawsuit filed by the DOJ challenging in-state tuition for people in the country who are undocumented. California, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia are the other states facing similar lawsuits.
Colorado’s ASSET law requires public colleges and institutions to classify a student as an in-state student for tuition purposes if the student has attended a Colorado high school for at least one year before graduation, or was physically present in Colorado for at least one year immediately preceding the date the student completed a high school equivalency examination in Colorado, and has been physically present in Colorado for at least 12 consecutive months before enrolling in an institution.
The below statement can be attributed to Olivia Mendoza, ACLU of Colorado executive director.
“Our immigrant students in Colorado work and study hard to advance their education and serve their communities and they deserve equal opportunities at higher education. Full stop.
“This latest DOJ lawsuit coming after Colorado students is just another attempt by the Trump administration to roll back civil rights. The Trump administration’s relentless attacks on our civil rights must end.
“Immigrant students dream to become journalists, doctors, lawyers, educators, and more — just like other Colorado students — regardless of what their immigration status is or what documentation they may or may not hold. Tuition equity is not only good for students, families, and our communities, but it also leads to a thriving and flourishing Colorado: that is why the Colorado legislature passed this law.
“The federal government does not get to decide who is a Coloradan, who gets an equal chance at higher education, or who deserves civil rights in our state. When everyone has an opportunity to reach their full potential, all of us benefit. Our nation will only grow and thrive, when everyone living in it is treated with dignity and respect.”