LatinaLista — What happens when state legislators targeting undocumented immigrants decide to penalize the kids as well by not allowing them to pay in-state tuition for college?
A school counselor comes to the rescue.
A story out of Colorado tells how 10 undocumented students who wanted to go to college but couldn’t afford the out-of-state tuition got help from their school counselor to attend college in New Mexico — at in-state tuition rates.
The students will be attending the University of New Mexico.
New Mexico doesn’t have any laws on the books that prohibits undocumented students from receiving an education at in-state tuition rates.
We’re not quite sure how the school counselor, Isabel Thacker, was able to do this for her students but it’s a testament to the fact that not everyone believes that punishing the kids is the brightest future for any state or the nation.
Maybe that’s why the Pentagon came out in favor of the DREAM Act (Development, Relief, Education for Alien Minors Act), or why Senator Durbin, along with Senators Chuck Hagel and Richard Luger added the Act as an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill that was supposed to get voted on today in the Senate.
U.S. Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL), Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) have offered the DREAM Act as an amendment to H.R. 1585, the Department of Defense (DoD) Authorization bill. The DREAM Act opens a path for students who attend college for two years or serve in the military for two years to obtain their legal immigration status.
The DREAM ACT would provide a 6-year path to legal status starting after high school graduation for undocumented individuals brought to the U.S. as children more than 5 years ago. To qualify for legal status, they would have to demonstrate good moral character and within the 6-year period either graduate from community college, complete two years towards a four-year degree, or serve at least two years in the U.S. military.
Over 65,000 immigrant students who have been raised in the United States and whose families pay taxes need, but do not have, a legal mechanism to remain here. The DREAM Act will enable them to adjust their immigration status and contribute their education to the nation’s benefit.
(Source: ImmigrationProf Blog)
But after a full night of filibustering of the Levin-Reed Iraq redeployment bill in the Senate chamber, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pulled the entire Defense Authorization bill from consideration on the Senate floor.
His reason:
Because Republicans continue to block votes on important amendments to the Defense Authorization bill, we can make no further progress on Iraq and this bill at this time.
For these reasons, I have temporarily laid aside the Defense Authorization bill and have entered a motion to reconsider.
Chances are the bill won’t be revisited in time before school starts but there is a stronger hope that it will be resurrected long before the full immigration reform bill will be.
In the meantime, we can only hope Congress gets their act together so others can start on having a future.
Comment(6)
Horace
No one is punishing Mexican or other Latin American nationals. Just as we wouldn’t give in-state tuition to UK, German, French or Italian citizens, we shouldn’t do it for Mexican or other Latin American nationals. We don’t even give in-state tuition to our own citizens if they are not residents. What you ask for is special treatment for these people. If they wish to get benefits from their countries, then that is the business of Mexico or other nations south of our border or elsewhere, for that matter, to provide them. Citizens of this country subsidize their children’s educations but should not be required to do so for non-citizens. It’s an absurd idea even to make such demands. Our citizens do not get the benefit of citizenship when temporarily living in other countries. Furthermore, giving in-state tuition is a form of aiding and abetting illegal immigration and encourages it. It’s advocacy groups that are being unfair to citizens when they demand it. The people they advocate for are lucky to avoid deportation, nevermind benefit from being here.
yave begnet
Yes, the school counselor should be convicted and jailed for treasonous aiding and abetting and subversion and for giving away tax dollars of hardworking (white) New Mexicans. In fact, this blog should also be shut down and its proprietor sent up the river to set an example–we don’t want too many Latinas speaking out and putting ideas of human dignity and self worth into the heads of illegals. I’m risking deportation myself just by commenting on–just by visiting–this blog, but I take that chance proudly to expose the shenanigans of the open borders one-world UN French loving commie fascist traitors for all upstanding Americans to see with open eyes and clear hearts. I perform this public service on my own time, uncompensated (and unacknowledged) because I care, unlike the dhimmicratic islamoloving mexicommunists who frequent sites like this.
(I’d like to send a shoutout to Gen. JC Christian, Patriot, fellow ex-Utahn ex-Mormon all-American warrior, who inspires us all, and through whom I found Nezua and then Marisa.)
Amanda
They DO deserve special treatment, regardless of whether they are Latino, Ukrainian, Haitian, or Pakistani… which are some of the nationalities of several undocumented college students I know personally. They deserve special treatment if they have grown up here and gone through the U.S. school system with teachers telling them that if they work hard they can go to college!
I can’t respond at length to this because it is so very emotional for me. I just don’t understand how anyone could disagree on this issue.
Horace
If your parents violated our immigration laws and smuggled you into this country or your familiy overstayed their visas it is not the responsibility of the U.S. citizens to take responsibility for you. We are no different than every other Western nations, Mexico and other nations in Latin America in this regard. I feel sorry for you, but this is your parent’s fault for setting you up for disappointment. I disagree with you because if I didn’t I would be condoning and encouraging illegal immigration and the abandoning of our principles that we are a nation of laws.
Jake
The D.R.E.A.M. Act is a downright slap in the face to not only American Citizens, but to legal immigrants of America who have worked hard and LEGALLY to gain entrance to the United States.
So now, an illegal alien can sneak across the border, have a child (paid by the taxpayers), work (without paying taxes), then demand their kids usurp even more government spending? Contrast to a kid who’s had a job for years before attending college (in which taxes were paid), then pays out of state tuition when an illegal immigrant can pay half the price? Why must we reward the parents of those for breaking our laws?
We already have illegal immigrant kids slowing down the pace of learning in our public schools, holding back American kids, because this child’s family refuses to assimilate and teach him or her English.
Approving the D.R.E.A.M. act will not only further inhibit learning, as now we will not only be catching these kids up in elementary, middle, and high school as well as college now, but America will be giving the big ol’ F-U to those who came here and paid their dues.
jaime
Why do ya keep saying “with tax payers money”, like ya are the only ones that pay taxes. Undocumented immigrants pay taxes out of their checks just like anybody else! Here is a reasonal approach to to the dream act. First of all all the small stuff should be taking out like in state tuitions. Yea we shouldn’t be given instate tuition if citizens don’t even get that. Okay so if they dont give us instate no problem thats just the small stuff. If outofstate tuition is too much going to the military is an alternate option. You go to the military and when you’re out they will pay for your education. You dont even have to be on the front lines. They have MOS which IS military occupatonal specialties. Those are jobs in the military like a medic, administrative, transportation or vehicle maintenance. What I’m saying is we should modify the dream act to where it is less of a burden to the Usa and still be in line for green card and eventuall citizenship. I know this was long but I was just trying to get a point across. The goal here is to get approved for citizenship and do whatever it takes to meet the requirements. I say outofstate tuition is fine, college or military is fine, having arrived before you were 16 and a minmum of 5 years here is fine, serious criminal backgrounds should not be allowed and lastly population limit. Giving to only the ones that are currently in the states, if that’s what it takes so the young population can get a career and live a fulfilling life than so be it Thanks for reading my comment.
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