Supreme Court Rejects Challenge To College Tuition Break For Illegal Immigrants
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A California policy which allows illegal immigrants at state colleges and universities to pay the same tuition rates as legal residents will not be reviewed by the highest court in the nation, it was reported Monday.
The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to the California Supreme Court's November 2010 decision in Martinez v. Board of Regents, which allowed resident tuition benefits to apply to those who are in the U.S. illegally as long as they graduated from a California high school.
The Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) claimed in their lawsuit that U.S. citizens who reside outside the state of California may pay up to $100,000 more to earn their degree than illegal aliens paying the in-state resident fee.
CBS Radio News Chief Legal Correspondent Andrew Cohen told KNX 1070 the high court effectively has decided to remain silent on this highly-controversial issue.
"What we have from the justices today is a decision not to decide, a decision to avoid getting involved in the case," said Cohen.
The IRLI on their website describes the Institute as "America's only public interest law organization working exclusively to protect the legal rights, privileges, and property of U.S. citizens and their communities from injuries and damages caused by unlawful immigration."
