Florida approved this Tuesday (30) a rule that prohibits immigrants without legal status in the United States from enrolling in the state’s 28 public colleges, which offer technical and professional courses and, in many cases, four-year degrees. The measure is expected to affect about 8,000 students with illegal status who graduate each year from Florida high schools.
According to the rule approved by the Florida Board of Education, candidates will have to prove that they are American citizens or that they are in the country legally to enroll in these state public colleges.
According to the text, a second approved regulation also extends the ban to public adult education programs. The restriction includes preparation courses for the high school equivalency exam, known as the GED, a test used in the United States as an alternative to the regular high school diploma, and English classes for speakers of other languages, called ESOL.
The decision was made during a virtual meeting of the Board of Education. Civil organizations stated that their objections were largely ignored during the approval process.
The approval of the standards provoked a reaction from students and pro-immigration organizations. According to these entities, the measure will close access to higher education for thousands of young people who grew up in Florida but do not have regular immigration status in the United States.