In something of a very big move in a very unexpected state, the Attorney General Pam Bondi-led Department of Justice (DOJ) went on the legal offensive against the Democratic Governor of Kentucky, accusing him of putting illegal aliens first and Americans last with a scholarship program that benefits illegals.
As background, Kentucky, despite having a reputation of being a MAGA state due to its Appalachian location and support for Trump, has a Democratic Governor who is very soft on the illegal immigration issue, though he has backed down when threatened with DOJ suits, such as one over Louisville being a sanctuary city.
At issue in the DOJ’s ongoing suit against Gov. Andy Beshear and his state, which was launched in mid-June, is a scholarship program for illegal aliens who attend college in the state. The program was established in the early 2000s and has drawn the ire of the Trump Administration for how it encourages illegals to stay in the country.
So, the DOJ launched its legal attack. Announcing the matter in a press release, the DOJ said, “Today the United States is challenging a Kentucky regulation that provides reduced in-state tuition for illegal aliens. This law unconstitutionally discriminates against U.S. citizens, who are not afforded the same privilege, in direct conflict with federal law.”
Continuing, the statement noted that the DOJ went to war with Texas on much the same issue and won that suit, getting the program demolished in the Lone Star State. It said, “The Department of Justice has filed the complaint in the Eastern District of Kentucky. This challenge builds upon a recently successful lawsuit against the state of Texas on a similar law.”
Explaining what is at issue here, the press release went on to note how Kentucky’s schools are helping illegal aliens, saying, “In the complaint, the United States seeks to enjoin enforcement of a Kentucky regulation that requires public colleges and universities to provide reduced in-state tuition rates for illegal aliens who are deemed to be Kentucky residents.”
It added that such a regulation is illegal because of how it helps illegals at the expense of Americans, noting, “Federal law prohibits public institutions of higher education from providing benefits to illegal aliens that are not offered to U.S. citizens. This regulation blatantly conflicts with federal law and thus is unconstitutional under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.”
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And, putting the war against Gov. Beshear and his state’s insane, pro-illegal alien policies in the context of wider Trump Administration actions, the press release provided, “This lawsuit follows two executive orders recently signed by President Trump that seek to ensure illegal aliens are not obtaining taxpayer benefits or preferential treatment.”
Commenting on the matter in a statement, AG Bondi said, “No state can be allowed to treat Americans like second-class citizens in their own country by offering financial benefits to illegal aliens. The Department of Justice just won on this exact issue in Texas, and we look forward to fighting in Kentucky to protect the rights of American citizens.”
Watch Pam Bondi comment on the legal campaign against sanctuary cities here: