Tide Turning in State Immigration Legislation

This week Florida became the 20th state to allow undocumented residents to pay in-state tuition at public state colleges and universities.  Tennessee rejected similar legislation this year, but the fact that a bill was even introduced and debated shows movement on the issue.  The move reflects the turning tide of state immigration measures since the Supreme Court struck down most of Arizona’s enforcement by attrition immigration law four years ago.  In addition to in-state tuition, more states are issuing drivers licenses to undocumented residents and some states are even providing financial aid to certain undocumented students.  State enforcement measures have not disappeared (for example, Arizona continues to appeal certain provisions of its enforcement law), but increased advocacy and demographic realities are changing the approach in many state legislatures.