Some 2,000 DACA students in Arizona are no longer eligible for in-state tuition — which means that their cost of tuition could double or triple. That comes as a result of the 7-0 ruling from the Arizona State Supreme Court on Monday.

The court concurred unanimously with a previous 3-0 Court of Appeals decision that existing federal and state law do not allow the Maricopa County Community College District to grant in-state tuition benefits to recipients of the DACA (for former President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program.

Close

“While people can disagree with what the law should be, I hope we all can agree that the attorney general must enforce the law as it is, not as we want it to be,” Attorney General Mark Brnovich said in a press release. “My duty is to uphold the law and the will of more than 1 million voters who passed Proposition 300 in 2006.”

Karina Ruiz, president of the Arizona Dream Act Coalition, sees things much differently. “We are an asset. We contribute. For this state to not give us a chance to continue to do so, it’s wrong,” she said, according to Townhall.

LifeZette reached out to Ruiz for further comment, specifically regarding why undocumented students should be allowed to pay in-state tuition when other Americans who seek to attend an Arizona college are not entitled to such benefits. As of publication time, there was no response.

Matthew O’Brien, director of research at Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), agrees with the decision to deny in-state tuition to DACA recipients.

“The Arizona Supreme Court followed its mandate and applied the relevant law, as written,” he told LifeZette. “Too often of late, courts seem to believe that their role is to usurp the function of the legislative branch of government and make laws, rather than interpreting legislation and deciding how it applies to the facts of specific cases.”

Last year President Donald Trump rescinded the DACA program, but gave Congress a six-month grace period for trying to make the program constitutional — which it failed to do.

Related: The Side of DACA the Media Won’t Tell

Who do you think would win the Presidency?

By completing the poll, you agree to receive emails from LifeZette, occasional offers from our partners and that you've read and agree to our privacy policy and legal statement.

“DACA recipients’ demands are beginning to backfire on a number of levels,” added O’Brien. “Average Americans are questioning why illegal aliens are being given a pass for major violations of our immigration laws, when citizens are regularly held to account for lesser violations — particularly with regard to tax filings, car insurance regulations, etc. In addition, most American voters are beginning to wonder why their legislators seem more concerned with the self-righteous whining of illegal foreigners than they do about the safety and security of U.S. citizens.”

How this law might influence other states and jurisdictions remains to be seen.

Still, the law is very clear.

“Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an alien who is not lawfully present in the United States shall not be eligible on the basis of residence within a state (or a political subdivision) for any postsecondary education benefit unless a citizen or national of the United States is eligible for such a benefit (in no less an amount, duration, and scope) without regard to whether the citizen or national is such a resident,” said O’Brien, invoking Section 505 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996.

State provisions such as Arizona’s Proposition 300 — which imposed a similar ban on state-funded perks — should also be considered lawful, said O’Brien.

“However, courts in progressive jurisdictions like California, New York, and Massachusetts clearly believe their role is to implement a specific political vision, rather than preserving checks and balances and maintaining the integrity of our constitutional process,” he added. Arizona, not so much.

“Average Americans are questioning why illegal aliens are being given a pass for major violations of our immigration laws, when citizens are regularly held to account for lesser violations.”

A full opinion further explaining the court’s ruling will be released by May 14.

Elizabeth Economou is a former CNBC staff writer and adjunct professor. Follow her on Twitter.

(photo credit, homepage and article images: Arizona Supreme Courts [1], [2], CC BY 3.0, by davidpinter)