2008 Woodie Awards
Rally spotlights immigrant access to higher education
Kellie Woodhouse
Issue date: 3/25/08 Section: News
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The bills, which have raised controversy among lawmakers and system officials alike, would add Maryland to a list of 10 other states that allow undocumented youth who have spent two years in the state school system to pay in-state tuition - more than $7,000 less per semester than out-of-state tuition. Despite the controversy, university officials have remained mum on the bills.
Ann Wylie, university President Dan Mote's chief of staff, said that the university would not take a stance because "it's a Board of Regents decision. We have no authority to make judgments of who gets in-state and who gets out-of-state tuition."
If students feel strongly enough about the issue, they can raise it in the University Senate, she said. If the senate votes on the issue, Mote will take it seriously, she said.
Students of the university and surrounding colleges, along with local middle and high school students, arrived by way of crowded vans provided by Casa De Maryland, a non-profit organization that provides services to illegal immigrants and helped organize the protest.
Wielding signs that read "education not deportation," "justicia" and "your kids deserve an education," the protesters shouted personal testimonies and political pleas for what they see as a just law.
"It is unbelievable that in a country that is a voice of democracy, we hear every day in the voice of the president that [immigrants should not be accepted]," said a priest in his opening remarks in Spanish. "Before we are Christian, we have to be human."
Prince George's District 2 Councilman Will Campos and University System of Maryland Chancellor Brit Kirwan have both testified in Annapolis in favor of the bills. Opponents of the legislation have introduced their own bill, which would explicitly prohibit the children of illegal immigrants from receiving in-state tuition - a measure Kirwan said is redundant because federal law already prohibits this.
In a February interview, Sen. Andrew Harris, the opposition bill's sponsor, said he views in-state tuition as a scholarship - a privilege he does not want to award to undocumented youth.
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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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