Undocumented students will not be allowed to attend any of Florida’s 28 state colleges, including Miami Dade College, according to a rule passed by the Florida Board of Education on Tuesday.
The ruling establishes an admissions standard that requires students to provide documentation proving they are “citizens of the United States or lawfully present in the United States,” in order to be admitted.
“The proposed rule before you today has been substantially amended to address, in a single rule, all of the requirements for students admitted into FCS institutions,” Florida College System chancellor Kathy Hebda instructed the board before the vote. “It also requires boards of trustees to adopt rules or policies to implement them.”
After public comment, the board voted on the motion without discussion. Only one of the board’s members voted against the measure.
The virtual meeting, which was originally planned to be held at Wolfson Campus on May 14, concluded in under an hour.
Miami Dade College gave a statement to The Reporter through its vice president of marketing and communications Alejandro González.
“MDC is closely monitoring the FLDOE’s rulemaking process and awaiting further guidance on implementation timelines and the full scope of operational impacts, which have not yet been finalized,” the statement said. “MDC will comply with all state requirements once they are finalized. We will also remain committed to helping our students successfully navigate our enrollment and admissions process by implementing any new requirements in a manner that minimizes unnecessary administrative burden for the students we serve.”
In the first half of the hearing, 37 Florida residents, including educators, community parents and members of the Florida Student Power, a minority student organization, spoke unanimously against the rule.
Among those who gave remarks was democrat Anna Eskamani, a member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing District 42.
“This morning’s meeting was started with a prayer, and it’s important to note that we are all God’s children, and the attempt to restrict a child to access higher education based on the documentation status that is no fault of their own is un-American, it’s unfaithful, and it absolutely is also constitutionally concerning,” Eskamani said.
Florida International University student Lisa Bolton added: “I’m here representing my family, my friends, the student body of FIU and Student Alliance. I urge the board to vote no on barring non-documented residents the opportunity to build their future… By barring students from education, you are possibly killing the dreams of thousands of youth and dreamers.”
The ruling follows a surge of legislative efforts, including the passing of a bill in 2025 that repeals in-state tuition for more than 6,500 undocumented immigrants in public colleges and universities.
According to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal, it is estimated that there are more than 49,000 undocumented who study in higher education institutions in Florida.
“This decision raises some questions that the court is going to have to review… One of the big questions is the precedent of Plyler v. Doe, that says you cannot deny education based on undocumented status,” said Richard Tapia, a political science professor at MDC. “This is a rule that goes beyond being authorized by legislative authority, so what you have here is a possible violation of the non‑delegation doctrine.”
Another rule that was passed Tuesday, stipulates that in order to enroll in adult general education programs, students must also show proof of legal status. Adult general education courses are non-college-credit classes designed to help students learn English or earn their high school diploma equivalency.
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