This qualitative case study explores the political debate that surrounded North Carolina's House Bill 1183, also known as Access to Higher Education and A Better Economic Future. This bill would have made undocumented students eligible for in-state tuition at North Carolina's colleges and universities. This article discusses the political debate, the advocacy groups involved in the debate, the strategies used by the supporting and opposing organizations, the factors study participants believed contributed to the defeat of the bill, and the lessons learned by bill supporters about planning and initiating controversial policies. (Contains 3 footnotes.)