GOP senator threatens ‘real consequences’ if universities hire illegal immigrants

EXCLUSIVE: New legislation aims to claw back federal funding to colleges and universities if they hire illegal immigrants.

The College Employment Accountability Act would stop schools that hire illegal immigrants from getting student aid from the federal government, as well as other federal aid for the entire institution.

“American jobs belong to Americans. Those who unlawfully hire illegal aliens undermine our workers and drive down wages. This commonsense bill finally adds real consequences to existing law and will help ensure taxpayer dollars don’t support colleges and universities that hire those in our country illegally,” Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said about the bill he is sponsoring.

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The UC Davis logo with a soccer game and bike riders in the background. (Getty Images)

The legislation would require universities that receive federal funding to participate in the E-Verify program to ensure the legal status of employees. Additionally, it would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1986 to condition federal aid based on how the institution follows the law.

“Colleges and universities that knowingly hire illegal immigrants have no business receiving taxpayer money,” Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind., said in a statement. “The College Employment Accountability Act puts an end to this abuse by requiring schools to follow the law or lose access to federal funds. If an institution can’t be bothered to verify the immigration status of its employees as is legally required, it shouldn’t receive the support of American tax dollars.”

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom campaigns for then-President Joe Biden on July 4, 2024 at a county Democratic Party event in South Haven, Michigan. (Chris duMond/Shutterstock)

The bill is meant to be an effort to counter pushes in places like California, where the university system has put a pitch on the back burner to hire students who are in the country without the correct legal documentation, arguing that state government systems did not need to comply with the aforementioned 1986 act, according to LAist.

Since the system’s regents pumped the brakes on enacting the policy, it faced legal action with hopes of allowing those students to get jobs on campuses, according to The Center Square. In September, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed legislation to permit the hiring of illegal immigrants for campus jobs statewide, EdSource reported.

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New sections of the steel bollard-style border wall, comprising primary and secondary barriers, stand along the U.S.-Mexico border between San Diego and Tijuana. ((Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images))

The bill would task the Department of Education and the Department of Homeland Security to track and enforce the law.

The proposal is not the first time the GOP senator has cracked down on which universities receive federal funds. Banks recently introduced legislation that would pull funding from schools that do not properly address encampments, which were a popular method of protest as a wave of anti-Israel demonstrations hit college campuses last year.