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Florida’s State Board of Education voted Tuesday to bar illegal immigrants from admission to the state’s 28 public colleges and adult education programs, a decisive 6-1 vote that continues Governor Ron DeSantis’s aggressive posture on immigration enforcement. The lone dissent came from board member Daniel Foganholi, himself a first-generation American born to Brazilian immigrants, who stood alone against the tide as the measure passed with overwhelming support.
This isn’t happening in a vacuum. Florida already ended a program last year that allowed DACA recipients to pay in-state tuition, and now they’re closing the door entirely. According to the American Immigration Council, approximately 50,000 illegal immigrant students called Florida home in 2023. That’s 50,000 young people who now face a stark reality: the state’s public higher education system is no longer an option.
The board cited existing Florida statutes giving them authority to set admission criteria, brushing aside concerns that they were overreaching. During public comment, Alex Liberman argued that “education is not meant to be a policing system for immigrants,” but that perspective found little traction among board members who clearly see the issue through a different lens. When did protecting the integrity of public education become controversial? When did ensuring that taxpayer-funded institutions serve citizens and legal residents first become a radical position?
The message from Florida is unmistakable: the era of treating illegal immigration as a mere administrative inconvenience is over. Whether this policy withstands legal challenges remains to be seen, but the intent is clear. Florida is drawing a hard line, and they’re doing it where it matters most—in the institutions that shape the next generation of Americans.
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