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Lawmakers fight college access for undocumented immigrants

Post on May 12, 2010 by 5 Comments »

On the opening day of the short session, more than two dozen Republican legislators signed on to a bill to block undocumented immigrants from attending NC’s Community Colleges.

House Bill 1679 spells out that the major purpose of the state’s community colleges is to offer vocational and technical education to students who are lawfully present in the United States. The bill reads:

The admissions standards of the State Board of Community Colleges and the admissions standards of all local community colleges shall prohibit the admission of persons who are not lawfully present in the United States, except as otherwise required by federal law. Admissions standards that do not expressly address the admission of persons who are not lawfully present in the United States shall be interpreted so that they comply with this requirement.

Primary sponsors on the bill include Rep. George  Cleveland, Rep. Wil Neumann, Rep. Tim Moore, and Rep. Pearl Burris-Floyd.

In March, North Carolina’s State Board of Community Colleges cast a final vote  to admit illegal immigrants to the state’s 58 campuses with strict provisions including a  requirement that they pay out-of-state tuition.

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Comments (Closed):5

  1. Joe
    May 12, 2010 at 5:34 pm

    And this is a problem? How?

  2. magyart
    May 13, 2010 at 2:58 am

    I support this, E-verify and the new AZ law.

  3. AdvocateNC
    May 14, 2010 at 9:41 am

    We have kids who have lived in this state for years on end, have excelled in our schools and are now on the verge of graduating, or have recently graduated. These young adults are poised to contribute massively to our economy and society, yet because of these 24 legislators, they are denied that potential, instead relegated to blowing leaves and washing dishes…. These kids are not leaving, they are a part of our state. Why deny them the opportunity to education and the potential gains to our state? That is why this is a problem average Joe.

  4. Advocate4all
    May 14, 2010 at 5:16 pm

    @AdvocatedNC…
    What about the kids that have excelled in school and they ARE American citizens? Shouldnt they be allowed the opportunity for further eduation before a someone who is not legally in this country? Where is the support for the kids that ARE citizens? If you open the schools to non-citizens, then our own children will will be denied opportunities in their own country. Do you see that as fair?

    I agree that the illegal kids should have opportunities too, but we shouldnt just change everything to accomodate them. We should improve the process to allow them to become a legal citizen. They should be educated on America, love this country and what it stands for, and then become proud citizens that are entitled to any opportunity they wish to pursue.

  5. ian
    May 17, 2010 at 9:01 pm

    @Advocate4all…

    I completely agree. I only hope what you suggest will come through in eventual comprehensive immigration reform.