2008 Woodie Awards
Rally spotlights immigrant access to higher education
Kellie Woodhouse
Issue date: 3/25/08 Section: News
Student Regent Richard Scott and Student Government Association President Andrew Friedson also support the bills.
"According to the bill, they will have resided in the state for a significant period of time and will have paid taxes in the state," said Friedson. "The reason why people get in-state tuition is because you've paid taxes to support the state. The same premise would hold true - it seems to me to make sense."
But for high school students who just want an affordable education, the politics of the situation seem irrelevant.
"We already know what we want to be; I want to be a graphic designer," said Edda, a child of an illegal immigrant who is undocumented herself. "I'm here to help people ... who want to come to college."
Edda, whose last name is not disclosed because she is a minor, said she arrived in the U.S. three years ago. The Montgomery County high school freshman spent five years in Guatemala without her parents before they could afford to fly her and her siblings to Maryland.
"My mom was a big example to me because she would study and go to college," said Edda, who has a B average in school. "It's an example for me to keep trying and go to college."
Campos, who was an immigrant himself, echoed Edda's views with a touch more sophistication.
"Stay the course. Keep fighting," he told protesters. "This law will eventually pass, if not this year, then the next."
Senior staff writer Megan Eckstein contributed to this article. woodhousedbk@gmail.com
"According to the bill, they will have resided in the state for a significant period of time and will have paid taxes in the state," said Friedson. "The reason why people get in-state tuition is because you've paid taxes to support the state. The same premise would hold true - it seems to me to make sense."
But for high school students who just want an affordable education, the politics of the situation seem irrelevant.
"We already know what we want to be; I want to be a graphic designer," said Edda, a child of an illegal immigrant who is undocumented herself. "I'm here to help people ... who want to come to college."
Edda, whose last name is not disclosed because she is a minor, said she arrived in the U.S. three years ago. The Montgomery County high school freshman spent five years in Guatemala without her parents before they could afford to fly her and her siblings to Maryland.
"My mom was a big example to me because she would study and go to college," said Edda, who has a B average in school. "It's an example for me to keep trying and go to college."
Campos, who was an immigrant himself, echoed Edda's views with a touch more sophistication.
"Stay the course. Keep fighting," he told protesters. "This law will eventually pass, if not this year, then the next."
Senior staff writer Megan Eckstein contributed to this article. woodhousedbk@gmail.com
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Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 17
H.B Wilson
posted 3/25/08 @ 9:53 AM EST
How does a person illegally in this country pay taxes? They don't qualify for ssn#. Oh, I forgot they steal them or create fraudulent ones. If they want in-state tuition go back to their home country and immigrate legally. (Continued…)
Aztlan Buster
posted 3/25/08 @ 11:32 AM EST
It's bad enough that taxpayers are stuck with footing the education bill for illegal aliens in grades K-12. It's objectionable to see illegal aliens (not "immigrants") taking up spaces in colleges that should be filled by citizens and legal residents. (Continued…)
Shawn
posted 3/25/08 @ 11:44 AM EST
"The immigrants have been able to file since 1996 when the IRS started issuing special tax numbers for people living and working illegally in this country. (Continued…)
BajaRat
posted 3/25/08 @ 2:05 PM EST
Er, Shawn.... if a rapist pays taxes does that mean that he can go on raping? I don't think so. In this case it's the taxpayer that's getting raped by the squatters. (Continued…)
Bobby
posted 3/25/08 @ 3:15 PM EST
Here's a chant for you. Stop making my house taxes go up to the point of my having to give up other things for the sake of my being forced to educate foreign nationals whoes parents broke the laws of my nation, and who's children are continuing to affect me--negatively. (Continued…)
H.B Wilson
posted 3/25/08 @ 3:15 PM EST
If you don't think the majority of illegals use fraudulent identification or stolen identities then you need to take a 10 minute walk from campus. Go down the hill to Adelphi and go to 14th and Kanawha Street. (Continued…)
Teresa
posted 3/25/08 @ 4:58 PM EST
Just go home. You have had a great K-12 education, courtesy of Americans, against our will. Return to your homeland, and teach your fellow citizens there. (Continued…)
America for Americans
posted 3/25/08 @ 6:12 PM EST
. . . you would think that, with all the sentiment against illegal immigration and recognition of the social cost (including monetary cost), we would be able to get our government to ship these people out of here, and stop them from returning . (Continued…)
Last American citizen in CA
posted 3/25/08 @ 8:18 PM EST
But we always hear how illegals will only take jobs that Americans refuse to do. Does that mean these illegal alien students will end up being college educated janitors, tomato pickers and toilet scrubbers? Hell no, they'll compete against you and your children for jobs that Amerians have done and will do. (Continued…)
A country built on immigrants
posted 3/25/08 @ 10:39 PM EST
last i checked, America was built by immigrants for immigrants- we've already killed off the true citizens of this continent. History is an important thing to learn, it might help you all be a bit less selfish and bigoted- although i doubt it. (Continued…)
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