A University of Central Florida professor wonders: When Florida pours into students from K-12, what happens to the investment when undocumented students can no longer get a higher education?
This comes as the Florida Board of Governors recently voted to require the state's dozen public universities to verify that all their students are legally in the United States. A similar rule was approved two months ago for state colleges and General Educational Development (GED) programs. The ban on admitting undocumented students begins next fall with the new academic year.
The News Service of Florida previously reported that the State University System does not currently keep track of students who are not lawfully present in America.
Following the decision, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins posted to X and wrote that state taxpayers "should not be expected to subsidize opportunities for people who broke our laws to come here."
"I will never apologize for putting Florida and American citizens first. That's common sense. And that's the Florida way," Collins wrote.
'What happens to the investment?'
According to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal, about 8,000 undocumented students graduate from high schools in the state each year. And about 60,065 undocumented students are enrolled in Florida higher education institutions.
Some higher education groups have spoken out against these rule changes. For instance, WUSF's Nancy Guan previously reported how Diego Sanchez, vice president of policy and strategy at the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, said the blow to the state's workforce should be something to consider.
"Florida is shooting itself in the foot," Sánchez said in July about the ban on public colleges. "The state has educated the students, has benefited from the hard work, and now wants to close the door just as they're ready to contribute."
Robert Cassanello is the statewide president of the United Faculty of Florida and associate professor of history at the University of Central Florida. On "The Florida Roundup," he wondered how the new policies will be implemented and if these will affect a return on investment since immigration status is not required to get a public K-12 education in the state.
"We are investing in these young people K-12, and then we're kind of cutting them off," Cassanello said. "And what happens to the investment?"
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He added that he's taught on the college level for 30 years and the clear majority of students are motivated.
"I think if we have motivated people who are here in an undocumented capacity, they are going to be students who want to learn — who want to do better," he said. "Quite frankly, in Florida, I would hope that Florida political appointees would want productive residents of Florida. I think there's nothing more productive than a young person wanting to get a college education."
Shifting views over the years
These recent approvals also follow a vote by lawmakers last year that repealed a 2014 law, which allowed undocumented college students who went to high school in Florida to pay in-state tuition for their college education. That law from 12 years ago was supported by then-Governor Rick Scott.
"I want students that grow up in our state to have the same chance to live the American dream that we all have for ourselves and our kids," Scott said at the time. "And so, if you grew up in our state, you are going to have in-state tuition just like your peers are going to have. And you know that your tuition is not going to go up every year."
Jeannette Nuñez was once among the majority of Republicans in the legislature who supported this 2014 law when she was a state representative. She later became lieutenant governor and is now the president of Florida International University.
"The vast majority of them have actually been acknowledged by the federal government under the deferred action childhood arrival status and, as such, will not be deported. They're staying here. They can work and become productive citizens," Nuñez said at the time.
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She stated last year that she thought the 2014 law had "served its purpose and run its course" and that the country "looks very different today than it did then."
"The Florida Roundup" reached out to Nuñez's office for any current statement, but did not get a response in time for publication. The team also contacted current Board of Governors member and former state Sen. Keith Perry and did not hear back.
Cassanello said he thought the change of opinion over time had more to do with the "partisan nature of our politics."
"I think this kind of is Florida's version of what the Trump administration's trying to do nationally [regarding immigration enforcement]," Cassanello said.
Questions over how policies will be implemented
Cassanello also said he typically wouldn't know a person's legal status who is in his class, but that students who he has encountered are passionate about the topic. He said the students see it as a "human rights issue."
"They see it as an issue of compassion, and we have quite a few student organizations on our campus, and a few campuses around the state who are protesting or speaking out against it," he said.
Cassanello wonders how the policy will be implemented going forward when it comes to admission.
"I would imagine in response to this policy, both in the state colleges as well as the public universities, they probably are going to fashion some kind of electronic recording system," he said.
He said that currently universities focus on residency and don't show a birth certificate, but he doesn't know how that will change.
Cassanello also said he likes to think institutions have a choice in deciding to implement these policies, but he doesn't believe educational leaders believe they do.
"There are instances in our past where through civil disobedience that we look at laws that we find to be immoral or unethical and we decide — choose — not to abide by them," he said.
This story was compiled from interviews conducted by Tom Hudson for "The Florida Roundup."
