For Immediate Release: April 24, 2026
Contact: Michael Earls at [email protected]
TheDream.US and the Presidents’ Alliance Criticize Proposed Rule to Ban All Florida Dreamers from State Colleges
Gaby Pacheco: “cruel and counterproductive for our state … and by seeking to circumvent the legislature, the Governor is also disrespecting the democratic process and the people’s representatives in the Florida Senate and House.”
Washington, DC – The State of Florida is trying to circumvent the legislative process and enact a sweeping and harmful policy to ban all Florida Dreamers from being able to attend one of the state’s 28 colleges or universities, TheDream.US and the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education & Immigration noted today.
A new proposed rule, recently added to the May 14th meeting agenda for Florida’s State Board of Education Meeting at the behest of the Governor’s office, relies on the same language as past state legislation seeking to bar all undocumented students from being eligible to attend any of the state’s 28 colleges. Earlier this year, the Florida Legislature failed to move forward with a similar ban, as Republican leadership recognized its counterproductive nature and the bill failed to receive a committee hearing.
According to Gaby Pacheco, the Florida-based President & CEO of TheDream.US:
“The proposal to block all Florida Dreamers’ higher education is cruel and counterproductive for our state. And by seeking to circumvent the legislature in enacting such a ban, the Governor is also disrespecting the democratic process and the people’s representatives in the Florida Senate and House.
More egregious than its process is its substance and scope, as the rule seeks to strip away any opportunities for Dreamers to even attend state colleges in Florida. Over our decade plus in operation, the average age of arrival to the U.S. of our Florida TheDream.US Scholars is just six years old. Many are now college graduates, working to give back to Florida and serving as nurses and teachers and engineers. These are the types of students who would be directly harmed – Florida Dreamers who grew up in our state, succeeded and graduated from our high schools, and are trying to pay their own way through college.
Let’s be real: after last year’s repeal of in-state tuition, pushed through during a chaotic legislative session, Florida state universities have already become unaffordable for most Florida Dreamers. This second measure is just added cruelty. And for what reason? Are Dreamers really such a threat? It’s heartbreaking to see what this Governor has done to Florida, to our immigrant communities, and to the future of so many young people. This proposed rule should not be enacted.”
According to Miriam Feldblum, President and CEO of the Presidents’ Alliance:
“At our member institutions in Florida and across the country, Dreamers are valued members of campus communities who contribute to the classroom, the workforce, and the broader public good. Following Florida’s repeal of in-state tuition access for these students, many already face significant financial barriers to higher education.
This proposed rule would go even further by erecting new and unacceptable barriers for students who have grown up in Florida and are seeking to continue their education and contribute to the state they call home. Restricting access in this way starkly limits opportunity, weakens workforce development, and undermines the role of higher education as a driver of social mobility. The long-term impact would be felt not only by these students, but by Florida’s economy and communities as a whole.”
About TheDream.US
TheDream.US is the nation’s leading organization supporting Dreamers at the intersection of higher education, workforce development, immigration, and advocacy. We’ve awarded over 12,000 scholarships to immigrant youth from 120+ countries and 45 states, with 4,500 graduates to date. We partner with close to 80 colleges in 19 states and Washington D.C. to provide scholarships, career support, and access to legal options that help Dreamers break through systemic barriers and achieve social mobility.
Through data, Scholar and Alumni stories, strategic partnerships, and targeted state and local advocacy, we work to expand equitable access to college, professional pathways, and permanent legal status. For more information on TheDream.US, visit www.thedream.us
About The Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration
The nonpartisan, nonprofit Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration brings college and university presidents and chancellors together on the immigration issues that impact higher education, our students, campuses, communities and nation. We work to support immigrant, international and refugee students, and advance forward-looking immigration policies and practices at the federal level, in our states, and across our college campuses. The Alliance is composed of close to 600 college and university presidents and chancellors of public and private colleges and universities, enrolling over five million students in 42 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
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