I STRONGLY oppose letting illegal aliens even ATTEND my state universities, much less qualify for in-state tuition.
AND because of that, I would fight to get this provision out of the bill.
HOWEVER. I feel hypocritical. Because the bill does not REQUIRE states to provide in-state tuition for illegals, it merely ALLOWS them to do so. Each state legislature would then make the decision.
I'm not sure why I, as a limited-government conservative, wouldn't support measures which pass decision-making down to the states. In general we like to do this, and only get involved when a state law could impact other states adversely (like gay marriage).
What would you all say to assuage my guilt on this matter?
I would say that when it comes to matters such as illegal aliens that the states should not have any ability to make self determinations.
Immigration into the republic is a matter for the feds and the feds alone.
In an instance like this it would only take California delaring it unconstitutional to not give them in state tuition to have that cascade into states that did not grant it and did not want to.
"I'm not sure why I, as a limited-government conservative, wouldn't support measures which pass decision-making down to the states. In general we like to do this, and only get involved when a state law could impact other states adversely (like gay marriage). What would you all say to assuage my guilt on this matter?"
We are FEDERALLY funding these schools via subsidies through student loans and grants. Schools may not ban ROTC recruiters from campus as a result of their subsidy by the federal government, because it makes sense that if the fed is paying for a school it ought to reciprocally be accessible to them. Why would it be inappropriate to say that schools must also comply with other federal law (i.e., not discriminating against Americans by letting illegals evade restrictions Americans can't)? I concur that there is a degree of federal encroachment, but so long as there are student loans already encroaching on state prerogatives, there should be a responsibility on the part of the schools to meet federal standards.
How was that? Feel any better?
In matters of national security, the federal government has an obligation to protect our borders. By shifting this responsibility to the States, it abrogates that obligation. For instance, what California does by providing a safe haven for illegals in universities or anywhere else can affect its neighbors.