State Laws Address Unauthorized Immigration

A recent article in the Pew Charitable Trust’s Stateline magazine highlights some of the measures state lawmakers have taken to address unauthorized immigration. The measures include allowing unauthorized immigrants to:

1. pay in-state tuition at state colleges and universities,
2. get driver’s licenses, and
3. receive welfare or Medicaid benefits.

Citing National Conference of State Legislatures research, the article stated that (1) 16 states now offer in-state tuition rates to unauthorized immigrants and (2) 11 states allow them to get driver’s licenses. Five years ago, only three states allowed these immigrants to get driver’s licenses, the article stated.

The article also highlights recent executive branch actions and court decisions regarding illegal immigrants in California, Florida, New York, and Nevada. Although these actions and decisions are based on state law, they invariably test the jurisdictional boundaries between local, state, and federal governments.