Jim Vertuno.

The quick end to a Texas law that granted in-state public university tuition prices to students who lack legal resident status stunned immigrant advocates and state Democrats, who call it a cruel punishment for hardworking students that will ultimately hurt the state’s economy. In one of the Trump administration’s latest moves to crack down on immigration, the Justice Department on Wednesday sued to block the so-called “Texas Dream Act.” A few hours later, a federal judge declared it unconstitutional. The lighting ruling ended a policy that since 2001 has helped tens of thousands of students get into college and has spawned similar laws in two dozen states.