Attorney General Jay Jones withdraws Virginia from tuition agreement with DOJ

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Attorney General Jay Jones (D) has withdrawn Virginia's previous agreement with the Trump administration that barred undocumented students from paying lower in-state tuition at colleges and universities across the commonwealth.

Jones's office announced on Wednesday, Jan. 21, a motion to withdraw from his predecessor Jason Miyares's arrangement with the Department of Justice (DOJ), which was on track to scrap Virginia's tuition law.

The move came after the DOJ filed a lawsuit in December against the commonwealth for providing tuition aid for students regardless of their immigration status.

Attorney General Jay Jones announces slate of legal actions, reverses DOJ tuition deal on Day One

The attorney general's office said Miyares's previous legal stance "was filed in the final moments of his expiring administration."

“On day one, I promised Virginians I would fight back against the Trump Administration’s attacks on our Commonwealth, our institutions of higher education, and most importantly – our students,” Jones said in the release. “Virginians deserve leaders who will put them first, and that’s exactly what my office will continue to do.”

The Jan. 21 motion is among a slate of legal actions Jones announced just hours into his new position following the Saturday, Jan. 17 inauguration. The efforts include a 30-day review of all current litigation in Virginia.