Two major federal legal actions highlighted how quickly higher-education policy can be reshaped by court decisions tied to immigration status. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship, rejecting President Trump’s proposed limits tied to children born to undocumented immigrants or temporary foreign residents. The ruling affirmed a broad interpretation of the 14th Amendment right to citizenship and will affect the long-term composition of the U.S. population that later enrolls in colleges. In parallel, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Massachusetts and Rhode Island over in-state tuition rules that allow undocumented students to pay reduced rates. The lawsuits argue colleges cannot provide benefits to undocumented students that they do not offer to U.S. citizens. Additional similar cases have already ended in settlements in other states, while Minnesota’s earlier challenge was dismissed.