The Austin Community College District Board of Trustees said it will join a lawsuit challenging the end of a Texas law that allowed certain undocumented students to get in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities.
The 2001 law is known as the Texas Dream Act.
"As the publicly elected arm of the College, the Trustees are asking for the opportunity to engage in a legal conversation that will examine whether the Texas Dream Act is constitutional," trustees said in a news release.
The board made the decision to take this step during a special meeting Saturday — a few weeks after the Trump administration filed a lawsuit challenging the Texas Dream Act. State leaders immediately agreed with the U.S. Department of Justice's stance, ending the two-decade-old law overnight.
The ACC Board of Trustees said the sudden end of the law "bypassed the standard legislative process meant to ensure fairness and transparency, and prevented sufficient notice or consideration."
ACC Board Chair Sean Hassan said the community college has a vested interest in the issue because it is tasked with training students to meet the needs of Central Texas employers and to fulfill its mission to the taxpayers who help fund it.
"If legislation or court decisions will impact our ability to meet these expectations, we should have a seat at the table to help shape responsible solutions," he said. "The action by our Board asks the court to ensure our voice is heard."
In a statement, the board said it is consulting with legal counsel pro bono and that joining the lawsuit would not cost the college or local taxpayers. It said a motion could be filed Monday or early Tuesday.
Separately, a group of undocumented students represented by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund have asked a court to allow them to join the case the DOJ filed against Texas and argue for the law to remain in effect.
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