ILLINOIS OPENS STATE AID TO UNDOCUMENTED, DACA STUDENTS; PRITZKER MOVE TRIGGERS GOP BACKLASH

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a law making state- and locally administered financial aid available to Illinois residents regardless of immigration status, including undocumented and DACA students. Sponsors say it standardizes access and removes conflicting eligibility rules; Republicans, led by Rep. Mary Miller and the state GOP, call it a taxpayer-funded benefit for illegal immigrants. The move slots into a recent blue-state trend expanding higher-ed aid for undocumented students, drawing partisan pushback and potential legal or budget fights. Pritzker’s office declined comment to Fox News Digital.