Don Roach: Just Say No to In-State Tuition for Illegal Immigrants
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
In the past I have written about illegal immigration. I’ve talked about making compromises & compared immigrants across generations. Unfortunately, the issue of illegal immigrants being able to attend Rhode Island state universities at the same price as legal residents is just one issue we should not compromise on. Not an inch.
The General Assembly was circumvented
Last year, Rhode Island’s Board of Governor’s for Higher Education (RIBGHE) decided the issue for us by allowing illegal immigrants the ability to attend Rhode Island’s universities at the same rate as legal residents provided they graduated from and attended a Rhode Island high school for three years. On Monday, GoLocal reported that Rep. Doreen Costa is introducing legislation that would “block any undocumented citizens from receiving in-state tuition”. Essentially, the legislation would allow the legislative body of our state’s government the ability to decide the issue. Many believe, and count Costa among them that the RIBGHE made the decision last fall because the votes supporting illegal immigrants receiving in-state tuition are not there. Rep. Grace Diaz has been a proponent of illegal immigrants receiving in-state tuition for years. She has unsuccessfully tried to pass this legislation in years past – 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011. As far as I can tell, none of these bills made it out of committee meaning there was not and continues to be insufficient support amongst the majority of legislators for illegal immigrants receiving in-state tuition.
General Assembly members do not agree with Rep. Diaz’s reasoning for providing in-state tuition for illegal immigrants. Additionally, leadership of the General Assembly appeared to be unwilling to fight for these bills and grant them a floor vote. Obviously, there are many bills that do not receive a floor vote for a number of different reasons, but it begs the question as to why the RIBGHE felt the need to step in where the legislature had rejected prior proposals? It seems that the RIBGHE wanted to imprint their policy onto Rhode Islanders without the consent of Rhode Islanders by proxy or otherwise. In other words, we elect legislators to make these decisions, we do not elect members of the RIBGHE…at…all.
Can we all agree that it is under the purview of our General Assembly to establish the laws by which our public universities should be abiding? If we agree on that then, the RIBGHE overstepped their authority when they bypassed the legislature who had for years rejected Diaz’s bills. Therefore, Rep. Costa is introducing a bill that would force the General Assembly to make a decision on the issue.
As I like to do from time to time, I contacted both Rep. Diaz and Rep. Costa through Facebook to see if they would like to comment on this article. Unfortunately, I did not hear back from Rep. Diaz but I would like to note that I gave very short notice and not all of us are Facebook junkies so it should not be held against Rep. Diaz for a lack of response. Here’s what Rep. Costa had to say about her bill:
“This bill that I put in really has nothing to do with the fact if you agree or disag[r]ee with instate tuition for [illegal immigrants]. The Governor did not go through the proper procedure. He by-passed the general assembly knowing there was not enough votes to support this. This is the only state in the country that by-passed the legislative process. He went to the [RIBGHE] knowing they would pass this seeing that they are all appointed mostly by him. I have […] support for this bill on both sides. Does not matter if you have a D or an R next to your name. It's about going through the process.”
The issue, according to Costa, is that the governor and the RIBGHE circumvented the legislature because they knew the legislature would not pass Diaz’s legislation. However you stand on this or any other legal issue, we should all agree that issues like this should be brought before the legislature and not decided by eleven (only eleven board members were present when the RIGBHE voted) unelected officials with zero accountability to taxpayers.
Not to get all slippery slope here, but if it can happen in this instance what’s to protect taxpayers from facing other similar situations? One would think laws would be in place to protect us but it’s reckless for the governor and members of the RIBGHE to go around the General Assembly simply because they disagree with its membership on this issue.
Just say no to illegal immigrants receiving in-state tuition
Having said that and gotten the logistical issue out the way, there is no way in the world we should support in-state tuition for illegal immigrants. Again, we – as in the legislature and/or citizens – should not support in-state tuition for illegal immigrants today, tomorrow, fifty years from now.
Why?
We make a complete mockery of our laws if we do. What we’re saying is that a legal resident of Massachusetts has less of a right to in-state tuition than a non-legal resident from Providence. We’re saying that someone who is unable to legally pay income tax to the state or federal government should receive the same tuition rate as residents who are or have the ability to pay income tax to the state and federal government. And we’re also telling young people that following the law and doing what’s right is of no importance in this state.
Rep. Diaz and others would probably say that we’re giving these kids the opportunity to attend college and make a better life for themselves, that it’s the ‘right thing to do’ for students who have little to know control over their immigration status. I agree that many of these students probably had little choice to come to this country, but does this give them a license to ignore laws we all live under?
I don’t think so.
Further, if these students receive degrees from our public universities how will they be able to get a job. Let’s assume someone graduates magna cum laude from URI with a degree in accounting, how are they going to get a job in this country without being here legally? Is a Big 4 tax firm going to hire them? Not in this country. Will the student be able to give back to the state that enabled them to receive an education at a reduced price? Not until they become a legal resident.
In the comment section I invite any of you who believe illegal immigrants should receive in-state tuition to tell folks like me and the General Assembly why. Convince us why it makes sense to do this and why it helps the state, the students, and the taxpayer. I don’t see a reason, the General Assembly hasn’t seen a reason, and I remain unconvinced that any good comes from this.
Don Roach is a member of the RI Young Republicans and can be reached at don@donroach.org.
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Comments:
Edward Smith
6:38am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Roach,
Before you get all bent out of shape, lets take the nativist passion away from this debate. This measure actually has a very limited scope and is not the illegal loophole that conservatives want to paint it as.
The measure allows in-state tuition for youth who have completed three years of high school in RI and who can demonstrate that they are in the process of obtaining legal residency. Why is this important to clarify?
The vast majority of young adults who are undocumented were brought over as children by their parents. They did not ask to come here but they are here and by the time they are wrapping up high school they have become culturally assimilated American kids who, unfortunately, happen to be missing legal status in this country.
They are never going back to "their country" because in their minds and hearts this is their country. By the time many of these kids are wrapping up high school, they have already initiated the process to legalize their status. This process can take many years.
Let's say, for arguments sake, that 100 undocumented kids graduate from RI high schools in any given year. Of those, maybe 50 are currently working on obtaining legal status at this point and therefore qualify for in-state tuition. Of the 50 maybe 20 meet the academic criteria for admission into URI. The real question then becomes how many of the 20 can actually afford in-state tuitin at URI?
Last time I checked, the in-state tuition for four years at URI (with room and board) was coming close to six figures. Unless the kids are outstanding and qualify fora full-ride scholarship there is no way they will be going to URI. Maybe one or two of the hypothetical 20 will rise to this level.
What option is left for the others? That's right, paying out of pocket for classes at CCRI.
So, we want to create this huge controversy over a measure that will, ultimately, allow a handful of kids who are waiting for their green cards to pay in-state tuition for classes at CCRI. What is the alternative? Keep them in limbo so that ayear or two down the road, when they finally achieve legal residency, they are 20 year olds with nothing but a halfass public high school education under their belts.
How does that help us move Rhode Island forward?
donatello gori
7:04am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
attention illegals, ed smith wants to pay for your college tuition. ed will guarantee you a loan to make your life better. don't forget to bring a towel because ed's bleeding heart can get very messy.
ed, the citizens of ri want to thank you for opening up your checkbook to help pay for these illegal students. your humanitarian award is in the mail. look for it.
Edward Smith
7:14am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Clever. Please send my regards to Splinter and April.
anthony sionni
7:26am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
ed ,let them wait in limbo,thats the punishment for bringing them over here illegally!
guy smily
8:44am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
RI is a sanctuary state! In a perfect world we could let all illegal immigrants in and pay for everything; however it is not a perfect world. Rhode Island cities and towns are on the verge of bankruptcy. We are ranked at the bottom in every category and number 2 for unemployment! How can we afford services and benefits for people who are here illegally when we can’t even support our disabled, elderly and veterans? This will only attract more illegal immigrants that we can’t afford. They will take jobs away from individuals who are citizens who can’t pay their bills. This also places a financial burden on our school systems. There is an alternative. It is time for E-verify, no jobs= no sanctuary.
Of course we can just let everyone come here illegally and stay at Ed’s house.
Donn Roach
9:01am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Edward,
I didn’t read anywhere that the Board of Governors made it a requirement for these students to demonstrate that they were in the process of obtaining legal residency. Back in 2004, as I sat in Grace Diaz’s living room talking about Driver’s Licenses for illegal immigrants, I told her that such legislation would not see the light of day unless there was a provision about obtaining legal residency. I still contend that any such legislation must include this to have even a ghost of a chance of passage. I may have missed it, but I didn’t see the Board of Governors making such a requirement.
You also talk about a ‘handful of kids’ but to me that misses the point. The point isn’t that a handful of kids will be a drain on taxpayer dollars because we’re subsidizing the education of children who are in this country illegally while gaining more benefits than a legal out-of-state Oh no, the point is we have laws and we need to respect them whether we agree or not. Stuff like this makes a mockery of our laws and if anyone wishes to change the laws they should run for office or lobby their legislator. Diaz’s bill has not seen the light of day for years because she has not convinced legislators nor the populace at large that this is the ‘right thing to do’ nor will she if it requires the state to ignore residency laws.
That’s the point. Nativism has nothing to do with it.
Dave Barry
9:51am on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
I know people in Mass who are paying the out of state rate at URI and they are furious that someone here illegally...not even a citizen...can get in state tuition rates. When you frame it that way, it is clearly outrageous for the gov and board to give the illegals this break. Also, it is one more reason for illegals to come here. How do you think an illegal decides on RI? They network. Which state has the best welfare bennies...which state has a sanctuary city...which state has a Rep Dias fighting for you....Get the picture?
john paycheck
12:20pm on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
this is about laws that are on the books regarding immigration..
if you want to ignore or change them, why not just let anyone come to the US and get all the free education and health care they want.they want.
no need for visas or passports or border patrol. just let anyone cross the border and get all the benefits they want.
and you dont have to register
Art West
4:04pm on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Regarding Edward Smith's argument, I agree with donatello gori in saying, okay, Edward, step up with your check book
and underwrite an illegal student's education if you want.
I don't want my tax dollars used to support this kind of handout (and they would). I believe that citizens' rights and privileges are for citizens, not gate crashers -- with or without families.
Ilegal immigrants do have an option: They can return to their country of origin (taking their earnings with them) and attend college there. They would help support their native country, and no doubt make meaningful contributions to their country's betterment.
Captain Blacksocks
5:56pm on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
So a tax-paying student from New Jersey who wants to attend URI gets to pay the out-of-state tuition rate, while the non-tax paying illegal alien from Honduras gets to pay the in-state tuition rate? What is fair about that? It's just stupid.
Captain Blacksocks
6:04pm on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Here's the simple math of it. There are only a finite number of freshman admitted to RI state colleges each year. There are already not enough spaces for the RI students who are US citizens. Every one of those opening that goes to an illegal removes an opening from a RI student.