07:52 AM EDT, 05/21/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Southwest Airlines ( LUV ) is being sued by a group for a program that awards free round-trip tickets to Hispanic university students, news outlets reported Tuesday.

American Alliance for Equal Rights, which opposes affirmative action, said in a lawsuit filed in federal court in Texas that Southwest's ( LUV ) two-decade Lanzate Travel Award Program violated civil rights laws by excluding non-Hispanic students from applying, Reuters reported.

"Southwest Airlines ( LUV ) should immediately open this program to all students, regardless of their skin color or ethnic heritage," Edward Blum of American Alliance for Equal Rights said in a statement, cited by Reuters.

Southwest Airlines ( LUV ) and American Alliance for Equal Rights did not immediately reply to MT Newswires' requests for comment.

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