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North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live is a daily, five-minute newscast that shines a spotlight on the stories and perspectives of Minnesota’s diverse communities, including Black, Latine, Asian American, East African individuals, people living with disabilities, LGBTQIA2S+ residents, laborers, veterans, and those from Greater Minnesota.
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HOST: You're listening to North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live, a daily newscast about what it means to live in Minnesota.
ANCHOR: A group of students fights a federal lawsuit. Then, the state is investing in revitalizing old properties. And, as the election day approaches, know your rights and rules at the polls.
I'm Gracie J.
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is
investing nearly $2.3 million to revitalize five sites across the state. The projects will create or retain 269 jobs, add $2.4 million to local tax bases, and spur more than $157 million in private investment. The state will transform nearly 34 acres and create 488 new housing units. The department says the programs help communities breathe new life into old properties and strengthen local economies.
Next, Minnesota's Dream Act has helped hundreds of undocumented students pay in-state tuition for more than a decade. Now the federal government says it violates federal rules. Xan Holston has more.
Xan Holston: This summer, the Department of Justice, or DOJ, sued Minnesota over its Dream Act, a state law that provides a path for undocumented immigrant students to pay in-state college tuition rates if they meet certain requirements. The DOJ is accusing Minnesota of violating a 1996 federal law that bans states from giving undocumented students access to college financial aid on the basis of residency, unless it offers the same benefits to all US citizens, regardless of whether they live in that state.
Joseph Richie: We know that the federal government has made it a priority to attack and villainize immigrants of all stripes, and in particular undocumented immigrants.
Xan Holston: That's Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Joe Richie. He said the state law was written carefully to stay within the limits of federal law. Eligibility for the Minnesota Dream Act isn't based on state residency, but whether a student attended a Minnesota high school for three years and meets other academic and filing requirements.
Joseph Richie: Nobody thought this was an issue until now, and I think that speaks volumes.
Xan Holston: Minnesota is far from the only state with the Dream Act. Texas was the first to pass one back in 2001 under Republican Governor Rick Perry, and since then, more than 20 other states have followed suit.
Joe Richie: And if you look at the states that enacted laws enabling people to go, to get an affordable college education regardless of immigration status, it's blue and red states altogether. It was not a partisan issue.
Xan Holston: Still, the DOJ has recently taken aim at Dream Act states including Texas, Oklahoma and Kentucky. The attorneys general in those three states agreed to end their programs instead of going to trial, effectively conceding before any judge ruled on the issue.
Joe Richie: Setting aside these consent judgments. No court has ever found that any state's law violates the federal law that is being asserted here.
Jordy Guallpa Uribe: They were specifically targeting immigrants, people who are receiving those programs because they said that they are discriminating against US citizens.
Xan Holston: Jordy Guallpa Uribe is a member of immigrant rights group COPAL's youth committee. He and Vivi Siegar, the youth committee coordinator, said the DOJ's case misses the real purpose of the Dream Act, which serves not only undocumented students, but also those with temporary protected status.
Vivi Siegar: You know you could be a student with authorization just not to receive federal aid. So you could be legally working or had your asylum application approved and you're just waiting for your social security number.
Xan Holston: Last month, COPAL's youth committee invited State Attorney General Keith Ellison to a press conference, publicly thanking him for defending the state's programs.
Jordy Guallpa Uribe: We wrote a letter of gratitude to show appreciation of like the efforts that he's done for Minnesota and that we're not, we're also watching.
Xan Holston: The government shutdown has put the case on pause, and the DOJ was unavailable for comment. Still, COPAL's youth see the support from AG Ellison as a sign that they're not alone in their fight for opportunity.
Jordy Guallpa Uribe: We just need leaders who support us. Support our students.
Xan Holston: For North Star Stories, I'm Xan Holston.
ANCHOR: You are listening to North Star Stories.
Are you ready for Election Day? Polls are open Tuesday, November 4th from 7 am to 8 pm. You can find your polling place on the Secretary of State's website. Campaigning is banned within 100 feet of the building, and voters may not wear political materials or display campaign messages. If your registration is current, you don't need an ID in Minnesota. And remember, you have the right to take time off work to vote. For more information, visit mnvotes.gov.
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HOST: North Star Stories is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, with support from the McKnight Foundation and the State of Minnesota. Online at ampers dot org.