Illegal Immigrants Get A Good Deal

[Guest]

For the sake of our non-American readers, I have to premise this topic with a little explanation of how college tuition works in the U.S.

Most states, maybe all, offer lower tuition rates for students who are residents of that state than they do for students who come from out of state. This difference is usually quite substantial. So it pays to go to college in your own home state.

This morning on the radio, I heard a news item that the Governor of Washington (the state, not our nation's capital) is getting ready to use his veto power so that he may put in effect permission for the children of illegal immigrants to receive the state resident tuition break.

Undocumented students would be allowed to pay resident tuition to attend Washington colleges and universities, Gov. Gary Locke said yesterday, promising to veto an amendment that would have denied illegal immigrants that benefit.

"We should not be putting up obstacles, so that they can actually realize the American dream of a college education," he said.

Washington would join California, Utah, Texas and New York, which all permit undocumented students to pay resident tuition under certain conditions. At least a dozen other states, including Oregon, are considering similar legislation.

The funny thing is that these illegal immigrants will have to prove they have lived here for three years to get the state resident tuition rate.

That is not in the print article I found about the story.

So what do you think? Is this right?

 

[aerocontrols]

It's another of those laws that should be changed. If an immigrant is illegal, we should deport them. If we don't want to deport them, we should legalize their status.

I'm for the second option. In the absence of the second option, I support a state doing what it wants to (in this case, giving immigrants that the federal govt. classifies as illegal some of the benefits of residency) regardless of what the federal laws are, if the state so prefers.

MattJ

 

[Tmy]

I dont think it should be legal for these public schools (who recieve quite a bit of fed funding) to charge out of state students more than in state. How doesnt that violate the Constitution?

 

[Michael Redman]

I dont think it should be legal for these public schools (who recieve quite a bit of fed funding) to charge out of state students more than in state. How doesnt that violate the Constitution?

That's a good question. When I was going ot school out of state, the state claim I was a non resident, but when the census takers came around, the state wanted to claim me as a resident. What crap. I had my parents claim I lived with them. After all, if I'm not a resident of the state Im in, I must still be back home.

As far as the actual topic of this thread, it isn't entirely clear if we're talking about illegal immigrant students, or children of illegal immigrants, who themselves may be here legally. Maybe we should grant visas to these kids, but if they don't have them, they have to go.

But, yes, that's not the state's problem. They just need to figure out how they want to spend their education dollars.

 

[Baker]

It's another of those laws that should be changed. If an immigrant is illegal, we should deport them. If we don't want to deport them, we should legalize their status.

MattJ

Many of the 9/11 hijackers got into the US with illegal studied visa’s.
If they are illegal immigrants, we should deport all them.

 

[a_unique_person]

Many of the 9/11 hijackers got into the US with illegal studied visa’s.
If they are illegal immigrants, we should deport all them.

Kind of like King Canute trying to hold back the tides, I think. Face it, you are never going to deport them all. Now, how are you going to deal with the reality of the situation.

 

[Baker]

It's my understanding that, to a man, those hijackers were here legally. I certainly remember that the majority were here legally.

I'm ready to be educated should my recollection be faulty, however.

MattJ

As I recall some got in the country on student visa’s but never reported to class.

 

[aerocontrols]

As I recall some got in the country on student visa’s but never reported to class.

In case there's any confusion, I reconsidered my reply and deleted it, apparently as Baker was replying to it...

Ho-hum...

 

[CFLarsen]

In the US, you pay to go to college.

In Denmark, you get paid to go to college.


Carry on.

 

[Mel]

It seems the US does more to ENCOURAGE illegal immigrants than it does to deport illegal immigrants.

For all the talk about Homeland Security and the restructuring of the INS..... it seems to be mainly lip service and the application of immigration laws ONLY under certain circumstances.

Doesn't the word ILLEGAL have any negative connotations anymore?

 

[Chad Noles]

It would appear that if you are an "out of state" student in one of these states,you should declare yourself an illegal alien and save yourself some money.Living large in the land where someone else foots the bill.....

 

[aerocontrols]

In Denmark, you get paid to go to college.

Yeah, you would pretty much have to pay me to go to college in Denmark.



Come to think of it, I'm getting paid for going to college right now.