Should illegal aliens get discounted tuition?

Federal law prohibits states from giving illegal immigrants in-state tuition rates at public colleges unless they extend the same discounted rate to U.S. citizens from other states.

The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, sponsored by Senate Judiciary Chairman Orrin Hatch (R.-Utah), would change that, allowing states to give the discount to illegals but not U.S citizens from other states, it would also make illegal aliens eligible for citizenship if they complete two years of college.

Is this fair? HUMAN EVENTS Assistant Editor David Freddoso asked senators their view.

The Judiciary Committee recently reported out the DREAM Act, which allows states to extend in-state tuition rates at state universities to illegal aliens without also extending it to U.S. citizens from other states. Is it fair for that benefit to be available to people who come here illegally, but not to people who are here legally?

SEN. DANIEL AKAKA (D.-HAWAII): I like the idea to help the immigrants. I think the other part, about helping the out-ofstate, that has to be worked on. I know that in Hawaii, citizens who come from other states pay a different rate . . . .

Should states that want illegal aliens go to their universities at the in-state rates also give them driver's licenses while they're there?

AKAKA: I don't know. I think it's a county function. It can be dealt within the county. But as far as students are concerned, who go to school, I certainly would want to help them get a good education.

The Judiciary Committee has reported out the DREAM Act, allowing state universities to give illegal immigrants the in-state tuition rate, even if U.S. citizens from other states aren't allowed to receive the same benefit. Is it fair for illegal aliens to get the in-state tuition if U.S. citizens are-

SEN. WAYNE ALLARD (R.COLO.): I have concerns about providing benefits for illegal aliens, and the message that it sends, that it's all right to come into the country illegally. I'd need to look at that specific proposal a little more closely. . .

The bill would also allow illegal aliens, after two years of college, to get citizenship, or rather to begin the process for citizenship.

ALLARD: In general, I think we have to be careful about creating incentives for people to come into this country illegally. I think we have to honor those people who have followed the process and come here legally. They're the ones that we need to work with, and those coming illegally I think we just have to use tough enforcement on. I'm not supportive of expanding benefits for illegal aliens.

The Judiciary Committee-I believe you were there to vote on it-reported out the DREAM Act, which allows state universities to extend the in-state tuition benefit to illegal immigrants. Is it fair for illegal immigrants to get that in-state tuition

SEN. RUSS FEINGOLD (D.-Wise.): Well, it's the children of illegal immigrants. They may be technically illegal, but the intention of the bill is for kids who have grown up, gone to high school with other kids whose parents happen to be illegal, to give them the same opportunity to apply for certain programs that other kids would have. I think that's a good goal. I think it makes sense, it fits with Americans' sense of fairness. . . . That's one of the reasons I co-sponsored the DREAM Act.

Are you concerned that it creates incentives for people to get here illegally with their children-

FEINGOLD: I think that's a fair concern, but I believe that it's narrow enough that it doesn't create genuine incentives. I don't think by itself the possibility that somebody, down the road, their child might get a Pell grant, is going to give a reason by itself to come here. I don't believe, obviously, that illegal immigrants should get all the rights-by no means, they shouldn't come here illegally. The law should be enforced. But this law is narrow enough, addressing what I consider to be a clear problem with what happens to the innocent kids of these people. . . . The illegal immigration problem is serious. I have voted for more border guards in the past. But we have to face the fact that there are ten million people with this status in this country. Unless somebody has a plan to just find them all and deport them-which many businesses wouldn't be happy with, because businesses say they need people to do the work-we can keep looking at this in simplistic terms, just saying, 'You're illegal,' and we shouldn't do anything about it, or we can try to find some common-sense solutions. . . .

The bill would also, after two years of college, allow illegal immigrants to begin the citizenship process in a way that other people would have to wait for years to

FEINGOLD: If we're looking at a person who has successfully gone through high school and wants to go to college, obviously we're hoping that this person will be integrated into society and hopefully that they'll become full-fledged citizens at some point. That to me is a reasonable scenario.

The judiciary Committee passed out the DREAM Act, allowing states to extend the in-state tuition rate at state universities to illegal aliens. Should illegal aliens get that benefit if U.S. citizens from other states do not?

SEN. BEN NELSON (D.-NEB.): Having had kids go to different schools in different states myself, it's my choice. It's a local issue. If I don't want to pay the California tuition rates, they can go to Missouri or stay in Nebraska. . . . I want to make sure we have educational opportunities available to residents here, and the rest of it we should leave up to the states, as far as I'm concerned. . . .

Given that there's a federal law involved here-the immigration law is being broken

NELSON: The practical matter of immigration and enforcement is an issue all to itself. . . . If you've made the decision that some have, that people who are here are going to stay here in most circumstances, because you can't take the time to send them back, then promoting education is a good way of making sure that educated people here work and provide for the common good. If they're here, and they're not being sent back . . . people are prepared to make accommodations along the way. But apparently there is enforcementthe WalMart situation earlier this week is a perfect example. . .

If those workers at WalMart had somehow gotten away from the immigration authorities, that means their kids would be able to get instate tuition, and citizenship after two years of college. Doesn't that give you more incentive to dodge the law?

NELSON: Quite apart from that, there are enough incentives to come here just because of the disincentives of where they are. I don't think by taking a practical approach to some of these problems that we have-immigration problems-that you encourage people more than they're already encouraged. . . .

The judiciary Committee reported out the DREAM Act, which allows states to extend in-state tuition rates at state universities to illegal immigrants, even if they don't do it for American citizens from other states. Is it fair for illegal aliens to get that benefit if American citizens cannot?

SEN. DON NICKLES (R.OKLA.): No, I wouldn't think so. I haven't looked at the legislation, but no, I don't think we should reward people who are in the country [illegally] with benefits, certainly benefits superior to citizens.

The Judiciary Committee passed out the DREAM Act, which allows states to extend the in-state tuition rate at state universities to illegal immigrants, even if they don't do it for American citizens from other states. Should illegal aliens get that benefit if American citizens cannot?

SEN. JIM TALENT (R.-Mo.): I am not a believer that we ought to extend benefits to people who aren't legally in the country in the first place-and certainly in preference to people who are. More generally speaking, we have to get a handle on this issue. We have now a widespread disregard for the law. It promotes a disrespect for the law. It causes an influx of people who we're not keeping track of from the standpoint of terrorism or potential crime, many of whom get exploited when they're here, because they're undocumented and so they are afraid to seek some forms of legal protection. So it's bad for everybody, and we don't want to be extending benefits to this group of people, which just encourages more people to come.

Copyright Human Events Publishing, Inc. Nov 3, 2003
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