Kentucky blocks in-state tuition offerings to illegal immigrants after DOJ agreement

Published April 1, 2026 10:16pm ET



A federal judge on Tuesday blocked Kentucky from offering in-state tuition to illegal immigrants, converting a tentative agreement into a binding court order following a Trump administration lawsuit against the policy.

In a 22-page order on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove, a George W. Bush appointee, approved a consent judgment invalidating the state’s tuition policy and permanently barring its enforcement. The decision finalizes a deal first announced in August, when Kentucky officials and the Department of Justice agreed to end the practice following a federal lawsuit.

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