Posted on 04/29/2014 3:29:21 PM PDT by Brad from Tennessee
Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring thrust himself and his state back into the national spotlight on Tuesday by announcing that some illegal immigrants who were brought to this country as children can qualify for in-state tuition under existing law.
Herring made the announcement at Northern Virginia Community College’s Alexandria campus, three months after he declared the state’s ban on gay marriage unconstitutional.
“We should welcome these smart, talented, hard-working young people into our economy and society, rather than putting a stop sign at the end of 12th grade,” Herring (D) said to sustained applause and cheers from a room full of Latino students, immigration activists and education officials.
Announced in Spanish, Hindi, Vietnamese and Korean, in addition to English, Herring’s move could fortify the Democrats’ already strong position with legal immigrants, the fastest growing slice of the electorate. . .
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
So they were banned from going to college in Virginia prior to this announcement?
As I understand it the issue is that in-state residents pay a lower, state-subsidized tuition for state schools.
What this means is that as a US citizen and New Jersey resident, if I drive my kid down to Virginia to go to a state school I will pay a higher tuition than if we were both llegal citizens of Mexico and I had snuck her in to the country. As an illegal alien I would have the taxpayers of Virginia subsidizing my child’s education, but as a NJ resident I’m S.O.L.
Makes perfect sense, doesn’t it?
Wow.
That means NJ rates lower than Mexico, right?
I say they should get in-state tuition IF they first pay the per pupil state avg cost times the number of years they were enrolled illegally in K-12.
Pretty unsatisfying analysis to me - Virginia is free to extend in-state tuition to Virginia residents however it likes.
The subset of Va. illegal immigrants who pay income taxes, and who necessarily pay property taxes (either directly or via rent) and sales taxes, are more entitled to in-state tuition than a New Jersey resident would be.
People who have entered the united states illegally could still meet other statutorily-defined residence requirements for in-state tuition.
State’s policy regarding immigrants can differ from federal rules for student loans, etc. Recall that most of AZ’s SB 1070 was found constitutional.
You don’t get a different result here just because you don’t like the policy at issue. We rely on federalism to sort these things out. If VA’s policy is bad for VA it will suffer and push productive people elsewhere.
I wish I could believe that Virginia’s current governor and attorney general were in any way concerned with state’s rights.
Is there a requirement that the families of the illegal alien students must have paid income or property taxes in order for the student to qualify for the lower in-state tuition?
Texas has this same bill.
TX has had in-state tuition and full ride scholarships for illegals who take away college slots from Texas kids.
“I say they should get in-state tuition IF they first pay the per pupil state avg cost times the number of years they were enrolled illegally in K-12.”
You keep pimping this idea when citizens only indirectly pay for schools via the real estate tax. Well guess what, illegals also indirectly pay via the real estate tax too.
Your argument here is hogwash.
I can tell you that the GOP lawmakers are pretty much against amnesty for most of the illegals.
I can also tell you that the GOP elected officials are nearly 80 percent behind giving the kids who have been here almost their whole lives, AMNESTY.
You may not like it, but there it is.
The kids are likely going to be staying here expecially if they were brought here before 1st grade and know no other country.
Tuition rates are forever and always rising for higher education.
There always remains a set and limited number of slots.
Do you really think the local legal citizens trying to get into local community college classes should be competing for openings with millions of illegal foreign nationals?
In Fairfax County, VA, half of the real estate tax goes to the schools. Not really so “indirect.” The median house value in the county is $488,900, with a tax rate of $1.090/$100.
Conversely, most of the county’s illegal population lives in subsidized (read: taxpayer subsidized) housing, so the ‘indirect’ payment toward schools does not begin to equal that of a home owner.
I note you stated Virginia; actually it is Virginia's AG who has interpreted this benefit into existence. You think that's okay?
Obviously such was not the case prior to this decree.
This type of rule of men instead of rule of law is what us wrong with the country. In my opinion, the State Legislature is the proper venue for enacting such laws!
Let me pimp an idea for you. I do not care how much money an illegal alien directly or indirectly contributes. Utopian ends never justify illegal means.
“Conversely, most of the county’s illegal population lives in subsidized (read: taxpayer subsidized) housing, so the ‘indirect’ payment toward schools does not begin to equal that of a home owner.”
Here we have the “Dreamer/Amnesty” issue wrapped up in a nutshell. What’s going on in Virginia has nothing whatsoever to do with “Federalism” or upstanding, tax-paying state residents getting what’s owed them.
This is the Democrat party using taxpayer money to buy votes, rule of law and wishes of citizens be damned.
I agree.
What part of ILLEGAL are you having a difficult time understanding?
“This is the Democrat party using taxpayer money to buy votes, rule of law and wishes of citizens be damned.”
Of course it is, and the new Administration in VA is working double time to effect every negative change possible in the least amount of time. This AG should never have been elected but for those who chose to stay home AND a huge change in VA’s demographic thanks to illegal immigrants as well as legal immigrants who seem determined to turn the USA into the hell hole they left behind, and those who’ve moved to VA because of the vast explosion of government. He won by a handful of votes, yet has, since January, turned VA 180 on “gay marriage” and now “dreamers.” It seems he wants to move up the electoral food chain and is now working to open up a whole new avenue of voters.
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