Undocumented students will soon no longer be able to enroll in Florida’s 12 public universities under a new rule approved by the State University System’s Board of Governors.
The Board of Governors voted unanimously on September 3 to approve the regulation, which takes effect beginning with the 2027–28 academic year. The rule says a person who is unlawfully present in the United States will not be eligible to enroll at a state university that did not admit all academically qualified applicants during the previous two academic years.
Florida’s State University System includes 12 public universities and serves more than 431,000 students.
Although the regulation is written around universities with selective admissions, reporting on the decision says it will apply across Florida’s 12 public universities. Students who are already enrolled are not expected to be removed under the new university rule, which focuses on new enrollment.
Florida Has Also Changed Rules for Public Colleges
The university decision follows restrictions adopted earlier this year affecting undocumented students seeking education through other parts of Florida’s public education system.
In June, the Florida State Board of Education moved to restrict undocumented students from the state’s public college system and adult education programs. Florida’s adult education system includes programs such as Adult Basic Education, Adult High School, English for Speakers of Other Languages and GED preparation.
Together, the changes significantly narrow the public higher-education options available in Florida to people who are not lawfully present in the United States.
The university system does not currently track how many students enrolled at its institutions are undocumented, according to reporting from the News Service of Florida. That makes it difficult to determine exactly how many students will be affected once the new enrollment restriction takes effect.
The change also follows Florida’s 2025 repeal of a policy that had allowed certain undocumented students who met specific requirements to qualify for in-state tuition rates.
Supporters and Critics Respond
The decision has drawn different reactions across the state.
Following the vote, Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins described the policy as “common sense,” arguing that admission to the state’s public universities should be reserved for students who are legally present in the country.
Critics have argued that restricting access to education could close opportunities for young people who grew up or attended school in Florida and could also affect the state’s future workforce.
The change applies specifically to Florida’s public university system. It does not create the same enrollment restriction for private universities, which are outside the authority of the State University System Board of Governors.
For undocumented students hoping to attend one of Florida’s public universities, the most important date is the 2027–28 academic year, when the new enrollment restriction is scheduled to begin.
![Republican senators are warning that President Trump has fumbled immigration, an issue that helped GOP candidates in 2024 and is now becoming a political liability as the party defends its Senate majority.
Several GOP senators told The Hill that the administration’s mass-deportation campaign has been too aggressive, overshadowing what they describe as a major border-security win: illegal crossings down more than 90 percent since former President Biden left office. They say the enforcement is costing Republicans support among suburban and Hispanic voters weeks before the midterms.
“Once you start deporting people who have otherwise been here without incident for 15, 20 years, that’s a gray zone that I think where you find a lot of division of opinion,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said. “I always thought that this idea of mass deportations sent the wrong message.”
Cornyn pointed to a campaign ad from Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), who told the president that some enforcement “has gone too far” and that Hispanic voters who helped elect him in 2024 “feel betrayed.”
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), who is running for reelection, said most Americans want Immigration and Customs Enforcement focused on people who have committed crimes beyond unlawful presence.
“Most Americans are saying we are a nation of laws, but with as many people here illegally as we’ve got, let’s make darn sure that our focus is on getting those individuals that have violated our laws with regard to other things other than being here illegally,” Rounds said. He urged the administration to ease off people who “are here and that have a court determination that [says] they can be here,” and to “refocus on those individuals that are actually causing harm within society today.”
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) was blunter. “I would rather have 100 illegally present people go free than have that innocent person caught,” he said. Of sweeps that have swept up citizens and green-card holders.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican](https://www.lunionsuite.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/840991051_18641085889023307_7642861791848397517_n-512x640.jpg)
![Republican senators are warning that President Trump has fumbled immigration, an issue that helped GOP candidates in 2024 and is now becoming a political liability as the party defends its Senate majority.
Several GOP senators told The Hill that the administration’s mass-deportation campaign has been too aggressive, overshadowing what they describe as a major border-security win: illegal crossings down more than 90 percent since former President Biden left office. They say the enforcement is costing Republicans support among suburban and Hispanic voters weeks before the midterms.
“Once you start deporting people who have otherwise been here without incident for 15, 20 years, that’s a gray zone that I think where you find a lot of division of opinion,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said. “I always thought that this idea of mass deportations sent the wrong message.”
Cornyn pointed to a campaign ad from Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), who told the president that some enforcement “has gone too far” and that Hispanic voters who helped elect him in 2024 “feel betrayed.”
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), who is running for reelection, said most Americans want Immigration and Customs Enforcement focused on people who have committed crimes beyond unlawful presence.
“Most Americans are saying we are a nation of laws, but with as many people here illegally as we’ve got, let’s make darn sure that our focus is on getting those individuals that have violated our laws with regard to other things other than being here illegally,” Rounds said. He urged the administration to ease off people who “are here and that have a court determination that [says] they can be here,” and to “refocus on those individuals that are actually causing harm within society today.”
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) was blunter. “I would rather have 100 illegally present people go free than have that innocent person caught,” he said. Of sweeps that have swept up citizens and green-card holders.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican](https://scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/840991051_18641085889023307_7642861791848397517_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=104&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=Ib_peifAtiUQ7kNvwGJHbZW&_nc_oc=Adr-rpbwHnP3VgZYy97VHCho6fk_F4a1Do0G8tZ-0N8s_DJ4WUuSikaqZPFNlFQWMhU&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=ENBY2azvq5x41cwckMgAAw&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQLYmbOQqJZHlQ7C85wz7EDoTOk7bghfsiJ08Dj0Fsc2wxcrpXTTCZvMUnAWqT8DJZTFSiTF29JD&oh=00_AQMbnQtHUvOVincNCrhTtk6a0-1ygEuHncSPFdLAHJrKuw&oe=6ACEB398)
![Republican senators are warning that President Trump has fumbled immigration, an issue that helped GOP candidates in 2024 and is now becoming a political liability as the party defends its Senate majority.
Several GOP senators told The Hill that the administration’s mass-deportation campaign has been too aggressive, overshadowing what they describe as a major border-security win: illegal crossings down more than 90 percent since former President Biden left office. They say the enforcement is costing Republicans support among suburban and Hispanic voters weeks before the midterms.
“Once you start deporting people who have otherwise been here without incident for 15, 20 years, that’s a gray zone that I think where you find a lot of division of opinion,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said. “I always thought that this idea of mass deportations sent the wrong message.”
Cornyn pointed to a campaign ad from Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), who told the president that some enforcement “has gone too far” and that Hispanic voters who helped elect him in 2024 “feel betrayed.”
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), who is running for reelection, said most Americans want Immigration and Customs Enforcement focused on people who have committed crimes beyond unlawful presence.
“Most Americans are saying we are a nation of laws, but with as many people here illegally as we’ve got, let’s make darn sure that our focus is on getting those individuals that have violated our laws with regard to other things other than being here illegally,” Rounds said. He urged the administration to ease off people who “are here and that have a court determination that [says] they can be here,” and to “refocus on those individuals that are actually causing harm within society today.”
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) was blunter. “I would rather have 100 illegally present people go free than have that innocent person caught,” he said. Of sweeps that have swept up citizens and green-card holders.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican](https://scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/839766226_18641085904023307_2948675116117924112_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=102&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=W3O1OXhJoLUQ7kNvwEVqOkk&_nc_oc=AdpjS_FKcW6_Pzim3oSQZYHOiVKkfwbMNDrWl8LkpCoIR8Di6d1_1OSop-33HuIyAYk&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=ENBY2azvq5x41cwckMgAAw&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQKM398Tt_I2p4vRKalz0j_Z4tH0HTb7vQqbxmULe2a1mNBriCP6YiTkWtDhS1v0awZ5Nrl4yfQY&oh=00_AQN2CaDJvIxZZFUmMrDOdB1CFBlrw7pMmWwOuxKDaTgcUA&oe=6ACEC798)
![Republican senators are warning that President Trump has fumbled immigration, an issue that helped GOP candidates in 2024 and is now becoming a political liability as the party defends its Senate majority.
Several GOP senators told The Hill that the administration’s mass-deportation campaign has been too aggressive, overshadowing what they describe as a major border-security win: illegal crossings down more than 90 percent since former President Biden left office. They say the enforcement is costing Republicans support among suburban and Hispanic voters weeks before the midterms.
“Once you start deporting people who have otherwise been here without incident for 15, 20 years, that’s a gray zone that I think where you find a lot of division of opinion,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said. “I always thought that this idea of mass deportations sent the wrong message.”
Cornyn pointed to a campaign ad from Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), who told the president that some enforcement “has gone too far” and that Hispanic voters who helped elect him in 2024 “feel betrayed.”
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), who is running for reelection, said most Americans want Immigration and Customs Enforcement focused on people who have committed crimes beyond unlawful presence.
“Most Americans are saying we are a nation of laws, but with as many people here illegally as we’ve got, let’s make darn sure that our focus is on getting those individuals that have violated our laws with regard to other things other than being here illegally,” Rounds said. He urged the administration to ease off people who “are here and that have a court determination that [says] they can be here,” and to “refocus on those individuals that are actually causing harm within society today.”
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) was blunter. “I would rather have 100 illegally present people go free than have that innocent person caught,” he said. Of sweeps that have swept up citizens and green-card holders.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican](https://scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/842191576_18641085880023307_6000724888231376659_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=107&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=xtZvFe7RaVYQ7kNvwG4OWwN&_nc_oc=AdovbRSSo7-bJB-h4BjOGp3hCPdXOFQnOzD9Azrpx2vu_gAxIR8ITx7lo-GmhavkZsA&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=ENBY2azvq5x41cwckMgAAw&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQJ4AVdjZPwfuqwob5Anl_UXxf9-vyfMSnIFL132dZBOIgG53PNy68xVeRHFreFKcWnXaLdM6k_a&oh=00_AQPHB108lbYtrcF8tiL5_xvOy7DGXE3GVqhwYo2ATaPHFg&oe=6ACED2F6)
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