Posted on 02/14/2007 12:41:46 PM PST by Graybeard58
HARTFORD -- Victoria Perez traveled to the state Capitol Tuesday to ask for a future.
Perez, a senior at New Haven's Wilbur Cross High School, aspires to go to college next year to prepare for a career in criminal justice. But she has no idea how she'll foot the bill.
The problem: She's in the United States illegally, and therefore doesn't qualify for in-state tuition rates at Connecticut's public colleges and universities. Out-of-state tuition costs three times as much.
To Perez, a native Mexican brought to the United States at 3 years old, that simply isn't fair.
"We're all created equal. I mean, we're all humans," the soft-spoken 18-year-old said.
Perez and dozens of immigrant-rights activists gathered in Hartford on Tuesday to support a bill to change that policy and extend in-state tuition rates to all residents, regardless of immigration status, at the University of Connecticut, community colleges and other public schools.
"There is no group as disenfranchised in the education system as undocumented students," said Rep. Felipe Reinoso, D-Hartford, a sponsor of the measure.
Ten other states have passed similar laws.
Those favoring the idea list numerous advantages, from improving the quality of the state's work force to extending basic decency to ambitious young people who, in many cases, did not personally violate the law.
"These kids were brought here, sometimes without any choice or against their will," Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said.
Supporters also note that federal student aid is off-limits to illegal immigrants.
The bill has no formal cost estimate, though it's certain to impact taxpayers, who subsidize in-state seats at public colleges. Some supporters estimate no more than 250 students would take advantage of the discount each year.
Regardless, Blumenthal said, the price would be fully justified, calling it "an investment that will repay itself many times over."
The idea also faces plenty of opponents, and a similar bill was narrowly defeated by the legislature two years ago. Since then, the issue has become far more polarized as immigration has accelerated.
About 11 percent of Connecticut's population was foreign-born in 2000, according to the U.S. Census, up from 8.5 percent in 1990, a difference of about 91,000 people.
During Tuesday's hearing before the higher education committee, Sen. Dan Debicella, R-Shelton, called the bill "a massive subsidy" for illegal immigrants.
"If someone has not followed the laws of the U.S. to become a citizen, why do they deserve to get the same level of tuition as legal residents?" Debicella asked.
"This seems to reward behavior that we seek to deter," the senator said.
Rep. Pamela Z. Sawyer, R-Bolton, worried the measure could hurt the state's aspiring college students by heightening the competition for admission. Many community college students are single mothers struggling to make ends meet, she said.
"There are a lot of pressures on education dollars currently in the state of Connecticut," Sawyer said.
Though several religious and civil liberties groups support the measure, it's certain to face opposition from critics of illegal immigration. Connecticut Citizens for Immigration Control, a group based in Darien, mobilized significant opposition to the idea when it last faced a vote in 2005.
Rep. Selim Noujaim, R-74th District, a member of the higher education committee, said he would support the bill only for undocumented students who were brought to the United States by their parents.
"If they entered the country illegally, I would not want any part of it," said Noujaim, who was born in Lebanon and moved to the U.S. legally in 1971.
Nadia Minor, one supporter of the bill, counts herself among the lucky.
A Mexican and a cousin of Victoria Perez, she was brought to the United States at 7 years old. Though the 20-year-old graduated in the top 5 percent of her New Haven high school class, she said, she expected her illegal status to block her from college. She didn't even apply.
But Perez eventually won legal residency, thanks to her mother's native-born husband, and now attends Central Connecticut State University. She wants her cousin and her friends to have the same opportunity.
"I feel like we're paying for mistakes we didn't make," said Minor, who hopes to attend law school. "We didn't choose to come here."
Too bad she can't get her reduced tuition...she'd do well at most universities.
That's not so unusual.
Yeah, "soft spoken" till it's time to march in the streets.
I want out of CT. I wish my wife would agree.
""There is no group as disenfranchised in the education system as undocumented students," said Rep. Felipe Reinoso, D-Hartford, a sponsor of the measure."
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS?
This POS and the ILLEGAL ALIENS he's fighting for should
GTFO of MY COUNTRY.
I didn't finish my college years ago because my parents business burned down, and my funds were nil.
Now these kids want a free ride.
Sorry. No dice!
Hey, you could always try the "equal protection clause" route if the criminal aliens get instate tuition.
If this nonsense keeps continuing on, it's going to come to a point, where things are going to get pretty ugly.
This is a hoot:
[Regardless, Blumenthal said, the price would be fully justified, calling it "an investment that will repay itself many times over."]
How exactly will it repay itself ? As an illegal alien, these people cannot legally put their educations to use in the US -- they can't legally be employed. So how exactly will this be an "investment" in the state's future ?
The state has already wasted over $100K educating this illegal alien in K-12. Educating a person at the state's expense who can never legally earn a living, and therefor not pay taxes or contribute to the economy ? That's a stupid "investment."
She's here ILLEGALLY !
She can't legally hold a job. Even if she does go to college, she won't be able to legally hold a job in the US. Certainly the taxpayer-funded public colleges should not waste any more money on somebody that can never legally work and become a taxpayer themselves.
And hpw, pray tell, does that illegal person expect to use that cj degree, as a sworn LEO?
I put in exception in that an illegal can't join the military. A green card is needed if your an immigrant.
1. why haven't her parents seen to it that she became a citizen
2. how on earth is she going to get a job
3. has she received any sort of benefits illegally
4. is she driving and has a license
5. has she committed id theft and had a job already
And I didn't bring you here, or want you here, and I definitely don't want you taking up money that I have paid in taxes for American citizens to go to school. I also don't want to pay for your housing, medical care, food, etc.
Maybe you didn't choose to come here but I didn't choose for you to come here either so you are NOT my responsibility, go back where you came from.
...yeah she didn't even apply....guess applying for citizenship is out of the question too....probably going to be an immigration lawyer to boot....
How well the RATs do at changing the language. This "investment" nonsense started with Clinton. He knew the American people were in no mood for massive increases in government spending, so instead of spending, the government now "invests".
We need to stop using their false language. ITS SPENDING!
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