Posted on 01/10/2014 7:56:57 AM PST by moonshinner_09
Tears stained Elena Calderon’s cheeks Thursday as she stepped up to speak at Eastern Washington University during a student-organized rally in support of immigrants’ right to compete for state financial aid.
“I’m an undocumented student,” the emotional 23-year-old said. “It’s hard to come out and say that. I’m always afraid I’m putting myself and my family at risk.”
The graduate student, grateful for the opportunity to pursue the American dream, spoke to nearly 100 Eastern Washington University students, faculty and community leaders to encourage state lawmakers to pass the DREAM Act, which despite sharing a name with federal legislation only pertains to offering state scholarships to undocumented students.
Washington’s proposed bill would allow students who immigrated to America, graduated from Washington high schools, speak English and are accepted to state colleges to compete for the same state financial aid as other students. Currently, undocumented students are not eligible for federal financial aid or state awards.
Rallies have been held nationwide to draw attention to the controversial issue. Opponents resent state money going to students who came to the United States illegally, and some say it will encourage illegal immigration.
“Washington is a sales-tax-based economy, so every time they buy something they are paying taxes,” said Rep. Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane. “I don’t think that some people are going to come here because they believe that at the end of the pipeline there’s going to be some financial aid dollars to go to college.”
Controversy stirred most strongly when the federal government considered its own DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act in 2009. It offered a path to permanent residency to immigrants who earned a two- or four-year degree or spent at least two years in the military. The bill failed to pass the Senate in 2010.
(Excerpt) Read more at spokesman.com ...
These “kids” who have been educated here should go back to their home country and make it successful...that’s the kind of program I could get behind!
Now that we know who she is, the government needs to do their DUTY and send her back!!!
...and her criminal family!
I wonder what would happen if my son went to Mexico and demanded his “right” to Mexican tax dollars?
“tear stained”!? Not as tear stained as my family and me with you SOB’s raising my taxes, taking jobs, reducing our health care standards, straining our natural resources and on and on. Take your “tears” and pound sand!!
No kidding. "Sneak across our borders and we'll give you a college education!"
And who can blame them?
I couldn’t even read past that sentence, but glad to see you had the same response I did, and far more to the point as well.
Needs BTTT over and over again.
The first DREAM act was passed and signed by Locke when he was governor.
It let illegal aliens pay in-state tuition after High School graduation. No financial aid was intentionally kept out to make it more palatable to those who were against the lower tuition giveaway.
It didn’t make sense at the time to charge a lower rate because the illegals still didn’t have Social Security numbers, so they cannot legally work with their new education. They have also taken a spot where a legal resident could have gotten a degree.
Good thing only U.S. citizens can never go bankrupt on student loan debt and get admission preference. Take that illegals...oh, wait...um...
Oh, boo hoo. I'm so tired of illegal alien sob stories. Where are the stories about "poor Kelly" who got hit by an illegal alien drunk driver? Or "poor Jason" who has an honest business and can't compete with other businesses who are using illegal labor? Or "poor Jamal" who has to go to a dangerous, overcrowded, ineffective school filled with gangs made up of illegals and anchor babies? Or "poor Linda" who was raped by an illegal? Or "poor Tim" who caught a formerly-eradicated disease brought in by illegals? Or "poor Irene" who is on a fixed income and can't afford to move out of her ruined neighborhood and is scared to go out of doors? Or "poor Caitlin" who was the victim of an illegal alien child molester? Or "poor Andrew" who had to wait 10 hours or more in the emergency room and then pay through the nose, while illegals with the sniffles waltzed in for free? And on and on. We're supposed to sob for some illegal who had his or her feelings hurt, but they CHOSE to come here, or their parents did. Americans never asked for this invasion, but are suffering far worse than any illegal.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!! That explains why they're on stage, in parades, at the WH, out protesting, on tv and in your face 24/7.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.