Posted on 08/11/2011 6:42:41 AM PDT by hocndoc
I was the first in my family to graduate from college, much less to go to Medical school. I believe I was blessed by attending Texas elementary and high school, Tyler junior college, UT at Tyler, and then Med school and residency in San Antonio, Texas. I'm grateful, knowing that a “non-traditional student” (an older woman with a family) couldn't have done that in any place but the USA and Texas. No one took my place or squeezed my kids out of a good education, even though we live in a small city where more than 50% of the surnames are of Spanish origin and we know that we have kids of illegal aliens in our schools.
Our law in Texas, (unofficially called The Texas DREAM Act after the failed Federal Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors), allows a young adult — who was brought here as a minor through no fault of his own – to be counted as a resident only for calculating tuition rates in our State-supported colleges. The Federal residency or citizenship requirements do not change for someone going to college under this provision. Young people who finish at least 3 years of high school, get their diploma from a Texas high school, have lived in Texas the 12 months before applying, and who get admitted to a Texas college, pay in-state tuition. In contrast to what we often hear, the law doesn’t discriminate against legal aliens from other states: rather than 3 years of residency, they only have to live in Texas for one year to establish residency and it doesn’t matter where they went to high school.
In order to continue to qualify for in-State tuition rates, he must pass his classes, take a full or near-full load and promise to formally apply for legal residency status as soon as Federal law allows.
The “Texas DREAM Act” is the law in our state and was passed with veto-proof numbers by the Texas Legislature over 10 years ago, in 2001. HB 1403 passed in the Senate with 29 “yeas,”no "Nays." It received 130 votes in favor in the House. The text of the Bill is, here. The Texas Legislature has never repealed the DREAM Act, although it was revised and made stricter in 2005 with SB 1528. That Bill also appeared veto-proof, with 31 votes in the Senate, and a non-recorded vote in the House. This year, the sole attempt by Senator Birdwell to increase tuition for undocumented students failed to make it out of the 82nd Legislature’s Senate, even when he tried to tie an amendment onto the larger Education Bill.
On most immigration subjects, I’m probably to the right of many people. I would insist that adults who cross the border illegally must go back to their country of origin before beginning any path to citizenship or residency. They should start the process on the other side of the border -- *especially* if they have an anchor baby as proof that they have already broken our laws. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
In fact, I'm all for identifying adults who came here illegally, breaking our laws and for deporting the whole family until they can get in line and come here legally. Otherwise, we are encouraging people to break the law over and over. They go “underground” and are vulnerable. As a consequence, young people often graduate from our high schools truly “undocumented” in either country.
However, Federal law interferes with any attempt by the State to stop the problem where it begins. The Feds won't deport people. They won't allow us to identify those illegal adults with kids in our schools and deport them. Federal Courts have ruled that we must bend over backwards to prevent any appearance of scrutiny that might "chill" the educational prospects of any child, from preschool to high school graduation. In spite of all these limits on what the States can do, there’s no Federal attempt at a legal provision for identifying their country of origin.
So, until we can get the federal law changed to better control and deport known adult illegal aliens, do we Texans encourage their identification as (grateful) United States Americans and Texans or do we make them men and women without a country?
You didn’t read the part concerning the lack of documentation that so many of these people find themselves facing when they turn 18.
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Yes I did
And the so called “lack” of legal papers didnt start at age 18
and they do have legal papers somewhere
If they go back o their own country they will be legal and the papers are there
BTW When they reach 18 they are no longer “innocent through no fault of their own”
Now they are here illegally by their own decision
Its no longer only Mom and Dads fault
Actually, no, you haven’t summed up my position.
I said that I would deport whole families and force any residency initiative to begin in the home country - on the other side of the border.
In fact, if any of the minors do follow the law and return to their country to apply for a visa or permanent residency, they have to wait for the process to finish before they can become eligible for in-state tuition.
OK, I actually clicked your blog.
Black type on a dark, DARK red background?
Really? Seriously?
You don’t expect anyone to take the time to read that, huh?
I am waiting for Perry to get in the game and will support him if Palin doesn’t enter. No candidate is my perfect candidate, but Perry is getting closer and will be a game changer. I will not commit a political suicide that will result in 4 more years of Obama. Just not going to do it.
These were minors when they came here - they did not enter illegally because they chose to do so.
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But they still entered illegally...
College age is responsibility age
at 18 THEY are the ones now breaking the law by staying here
They are now illegal aliens in their own right
HELLO ???
If they ever held a job they are criminals. If they used a phony ID to get a drivers license they are criminals. If they drive without a license they are criminals.
if any of the minors do follow the law and return to their country to apply for a visa or permanent residency, they have to wait for the process to finish before they can become eligible for in-state tuition.
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Gollies that must be an inconvenience for people to have to wait in line like that
I wonder if I know anyone personally...
It appears that they have six months after reaching majority before they break the law.
Texas has exercised our 10th Amendment, here.
Through no fault of their own, many do end up with no documentation that would allow them to work in their own country.That’s not our fault, either -— unless you count the blind eye on them and their families for years while they go to school here.
Seems there isn’t a clear definitive answer via the Congress nor the Supreme Court regarding the issue of in-state tutuion.
Here is a short excerpt on the topic and I’m sure there is more out there but I’m not going on a hunt.
http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=13100
Technically, they’re not here criminally - they were brought here as minors.
....uhhh, Sorry, but that’s NOT true! they are illegal and are in violation of the law being here period. And you are wrong about no choice. They could come as 15 year olds, finish high school and now get a TAXPAYER SUBSIDIZED LOW TUITION to an indoctrination campus where they are folded into La Raza and emerge hating all things American. Stop pushing the nanny state in Texas, please. If they can qualify they can pay, or work their way through college the same way other AMERICAN students from Oklahoma or New Mexico would pay! Please rethink wasting precious tax dollars and subsidies on essentially lawbreakers...
ymmv
Go to work at getting the family deported while they’re in school.
The point is it wasn’t his decision, it was the decision Texas legistlators. There vote was veto proof.
It appears that they have six months after reaching majority before they break the law.
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So why are the illegal aliens staying
and why must the American taxpayer now subsidized these adult illegal aliens ???
Dang !! You go, girl !!!
What browser are you using? on Explorer, Safari, android, iPhone, and Firefox, it’s a white page with black lettering.
Thank you
Technically they are not citizens so they should be paying the tuition of a foreign student.
*I* didn’t, and not “just.” The law is over 10 years old. Talk to the Texas voters if you want it changed.
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