Arizona DACA Students Rally As Court Hears Immigrant Tuition Case

PHOENIX, AZ – Dozens of immigrant students gathered outside the state's supreme court on Monday morning, arguing that they should be able to pay in-state tuition. The state says otherwise, arguing that they don't consider them to be in Arizona legally.

The students are all protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

The students – most of them attending Arizona State University – argue that they are entitled to the lower tuition since the federal government allows them to be in the United States and they can get work permits and driver's licenses.

The state says that for the purposes of lower tuition, they do not consider the students to be in Arizona legally.

The rally before the hearing was organized by Undocumented Students for Education Equity.

"We don't want special favors," the founder of the group, Belen Sisa, said at the rally.

Sisa is a well-known activist in Arizona, was brought to the United States from Argentina when she was 6-years-old.

Last year, she received a lot of attention when she posted a picture of herself with her tax return – she paid $300 – and challenged President Trump to do the same.

While he did not respond to Sisa, he soon after ended the DACA program, which is still being argued in the courts and in Congress.

On Monday, the judge hearing the case said the court would rule before the schools send out tuition letters for the fall semester.

Photo via Belen Sisa.