Brian Sandoval, President of the University of Reno, Nevada (UNR), and former Republican governor of the state, published a message Tuesday disputing an earlier message from Trump appointees at the U.S. Department of Justice.
“Several claims in the DOJ letter do not accurately reflect how our University operates,” he said.
Last week, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet K. Dhillon asked the Department of Education to investigate UNR’s UndocuPack program. In a letter published to social media, cosigned by Acting United States Attorney for Nevada Sigal Chattah, Dhillon suggested it could be “using valuable resources to steer illegal aliens toward financial aid, scholarships, and career opportunities…”
The UndocuPack website and Instagram account were taken down after she published the message on social media.
But according to Sandoval, the office doesn’t receive any federal money and strictly adheres to national eligibility guidelines for financial aid. He says UNR will respond through appropriate legal channels.
UndocuPack was set up to connect undocumented students, including DACA recipients, with resources. Under state law, some of them qualify for in-state tuition and financial aid.
