Attorney General Ellison defeats Trump administration challenge to the Minnesota Dream Act

Court grants AG Ellison’s motion to dismiss challenge to Minnesota Dream Act and the North Star Promise Act

March 27, 2026 (SAINT PAUL) — Attorney General Ellison announced today that his office defeated a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration that sought to overturn the Minnesota Dream Act, a 2013 law that allows all students, including undocumented students, who have attended a Minnesota high school for at least three years to pay in-state tuition at public universities in Minnesota. A 2023 law, the North Star Promise Act, which created financial aid based on the Minnesota Dream Act, was also challenged by the Administration’s lawsuit. The Attorney General’s successful motion to dismiss similarly prevailed in upholding the North Star Promise Act.

In June 2025, the United States Department of Justice filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the Minnesota Dream Act. The DOJ alleged that the Minnesota Dream Act conflicts with a federal immigration law barring people not lawfully present in the United States from receiving post-secondary education benefits on the basis of residence unless a citizen or national is also eligible for such benefits without regard to their residence. Attorney General Ellison responded with a motion to dismiss, arguing that the Minnesota Dream Act does not require residency. Rather, the Act states that anyone who attends a Minnesota high school for a certain period of time is eligible for resident tuition, regardless of their residence. The court agreed with this argument and granted Attorney General Ellison’s motion to dismiss on Friday afternoon. The court also held that the federal government lacked standing to sue Governor Walz and Attorney General Ellison.

“Today, we defeated another one of Donald Trump’s efforts to misconstrue federal law to force Minnesota to abandon duly passed state laws and become a colder, less caring state,” said Attorney General Ellison. “The Minnesota Legislature decided that it’s a necessary investment for our state to do everything we can to encourage a more educated workforce, and that kids who have grown up here and succeeded in attending and graduating from Minnesota high schools should be eligible for in-state tuition at our public colleges and universities. Since then, young people have seized on this opportunity to get a college education and pursue the American dream in our state, and that’s a beautiful thing for them, for our workforce needs, and for the long-term health of all Minnesotans. I am proud my Office successfully defended this law, and I will continue working to ensure every Minnesotan can live with dignity, safety, and respect.”