Leaders are expected to vote Friday on a new policy that would admit undocumented immigrants and require them to pay out-of-state tuition rates. The policy also stipulates that U.S. residents would be given priority for admission when classrooms are full.During last year’s election campaign, the board stopped a longtime practice of allowing illegal immigrants to enroll at its 58 campuses at out-of-state tuition rates. It did so on the advice from the attorney general's office. The office later reversed its opinion, but the board decided to halt any additional action until it could review its policy.
The review, conducted by the consulting firm JBL Associates, concluded there would be no public subsidy of undocumented students who pay out-of-state rates. The report found that illegal immigrants paying out-of-state rates would pay an average of $1,680 more than the costs to the taxpayer of providing the educational opportunity.
Supporters say community colleges were created to give an education to anyone who wanted to learn and that these students, many brought to the country as young children, shouldn't be punished for their parents actions.
William Gheen, head of Americans for Legal Immigration PAC, said several groups who believe illegal immigrants should not be allowed in public colleges are planning a protest at the Raleigh meeting.
"Since people will not be allowed to speak at this meeting, we are protesting outside," Gheen said. "Important decisions like these should be left to state and federal elected officials, not appointed bureaucrats. This board voting to allow illegal aliens access to our community colleges is against the wishes of a vast majority of NC citizens and is depriving us all of a voice and representation."
Photo: Charlotte students Laura, born in Mexico and Ed, born in El Salvador, were crushed when they found out last year that CPCC and other N.C. community colleges would no longer accept undocumented immigrants. DANA ROMANOFF - dromanoff@charlotteobserver.com
Posts
51 comments:
This is a cunning plan: 1) take there money. 2) get there name and address. 3) Send Immigration to there homes to deport them. 4) PROFIT!!!
As you see, it is all about the money (getting out of state tuition). Somehow is it not ethical to accept them for some education program and then know the law will not allow them to legally hold a higher level job. Does it not bother anyone's concious?
What bothers me is that we did nothing to correct illegal immigration for many years and now that these children who were brought here as infants and toddlers are of college age, they speak English, their Spanish is often limited to speaking, not reading and writing..they have no where to go if their adult parents are here and then they are not accoustomed to the way of life in their native land. Now they have no hope for a future...young adults without a country. What a shame that we have no compassion for these young people who had no choices in the matter. And just for the record...I am not FOR illegal immigraqtion
NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
CPCC is too crowded as it is. Meck County residents get turned away from classes they need because they are too full!
I've said it over & over again. Priority for admissions and separate registration dates as follows:
1 - Meck County residents
2 - NC Residents
3 - Out of State Residents
4 - Legal Alien Residents
Never - Illegal Aliens
I'm so tired of people from nearby counties also taking advantage of the taxes we pay. CPCC is community and state funded. You need to pay to play!!!
Why are they crushed? I will not be accepted in any Mexican or El Salvador Universities if I'm not a legal resident... duh!
Franco, why don't you pay for their scolarships?
Google NCCCS and locate the board of advisors from around the state.
If they vote for this, then set about exposing these folks in their home areas. They had better KNOW BETTER than to vote this in.
Why would they seek to educate illegals who cannot get a real job anyway legally?
---->Franco Ordoñez writes about immigration for the Charlotte Observer. This Land covers the latest news and ideas about one of the country’s most perplexing issues of our day<----
Writes about immigration? All he does is write or post about ILLEGAL immigration.
I suggest you look up the term "illegal".
If people are illegal, they SHOULD be deported so Mr. Ordoñez, why don't you start writing about deporting those who are here ILLEGALLY. If you don't, then any comments you have to make are moot points.
What can we say say,,,we're damned if we do, and damned if we don't. I am not an advocate of illegal immigration. America needs jobs for their own right now. Do our opinions really count? I don't think so. We're heading towards a socialistic sociiety that benefits illegals and those who Do not work. America is no longer the land of the FREE, it's the land of the "Give MES".
Here's a question that never gets answered: why do you need a two-year degree if you cannot legally work?
Its getting to the point in this country where you are better off being an illegal than a citizen. At least they get help from the government. All the government does for its citizens is spend our hard earned tax dollars (probably on the tuition assistance, housing assistance, food assistance, health care of illegals no less!)
Yet another reason the Charlotte Observer is on life support.
This defies common sense.
Hi Franco, you have a couple typos in the third to last paragraph, I think.
It defies common sense for the Observer to report on a meeting and a planned demonstration? You want them to be secret?
The Observer doesn't set the meeting agenda or send the demonstrators.
"Charlotte students Laura, born in Mexico and Ed, born in El Salvador, were crushed when they found out last year that CPCC and other N.C. community colleges would no longer accept undocumented immigrants."
Laura and Ed should have been deported last year when it was discovered that they are ILLEGAL immigrants.
Our state has become a safe haven for illegal immigrants and NC employers continue to hire them left and right. No wonder the state is financially devastated.
Very well said discourser!
"colleges were created to education anyone..."
these people need to get the proper residency paperwork in order to attend any school in the country.
even though they may not be getting subsidies to attend school, they are still utilizing public resources to get to school. where are they getting the money for tuition and books anyway? many books cost as much or more than the tuition for one class (resident rate) at cpcc.
not right
In theory this isn't a bad idea since the stipulation is they must pay out-of-state tuition, HOWEVER, it rewards bad behavior and shows tolerance to illegal immigration.
If you want to receive a higher education in this country and you're not a citizen or permanent resident, there's something called the F1 visa.
Why shouldn't they be required to apply for an education visa and pay international student rates for tuition? Why should they get a pass when students who are not citizens do not get a break? My cousin moved back to the states two years before her high school graduation so she could attend college and not pay international rates. She was BORN IN THE US and is a CITIZEN. She didn't get an "out of state" tuition pass. She had to leave the country she called home and her friends so that she could afford college.
I have NO problem with immigrants but it is not right to IGNORE laws. It wouldn't fly in their home country and it shouldn't here.
I cannot believe the majority of views here. A person here illegally IS part of our community; if they wish to better themselves, then YES I support that. It's very clear nothing would be taken from legal residents by allowing this. I weep for our country, that people's views have swung so far toward outright hatred of other human beings. Nothing will be taken from you, by your giving! WWJD?
Anonymous September 17, 2009 12:18 AM,
WWJD?
Jesus' teachings say we should follow and obey the laws set by our government. And if we break those laws we should be held accountable.
"tomorrow's state community college board meeting where members are expected to decide whether to let illegal immigrants attend their schools."
Why is this even an issue for discussion? Nothing like giving the country away ......nutbag lefties will be the first to complain when they wake up in a country that is no longer America.
Good tea party fodder.
Not all illegal immigrants are hispanic. many come from other parts of the globe, we don't hear as much about them because they don't stand out as much.
there is a right way to go about things, the people being punished are the ones doing the right thing. allowing undocumented immigrants the ability to attend community colleges without going through proper channels is like letting bank robbers keep the money they stole.
let them register as illegal aliens then deport them
so-called educational leadership in nc is not for the average citizen...illegal aliens, mary easley, lies fron uncs and erskin
Anonymous September 17, 2009 12:18 AM: I can't believe YOUR view on here. You mention hatred. I don't many people saying they hate anyone. They do hate the breaking of our laws. They hate bad behavior. They hate having to fund the rights of a citizen to a non-citizen.
Ordonez reports: "Supporters say community colleges were created to education anyone who wanted to learn and that these students, many brought to the country as young children, should be punished for their parents actions."
Firstly, Franco left out an important "NOT BE" before the word "punished".
Secondly, Community colleges were developed, and still exist, for two major purposes. The first is to serve as a bridge from high school to college(or to get an associate degree or certificate.
The second function of community colleges is to prepare students for the job market...
As someone pointed out, what job market? The illegal one?
xenophobia is the new racism.
Us vs them is a conservative value.
They are ILLEGAL. That means they are not here as law-abiding citizens. You sugarcoat that anyway you want, but if you are going to assist a law-breaker you might as well start handing out guns to armed robbers and gloves to burglars. Same thing.
It means you are aiding and abetting a criminal.
Keep playing the sympathy card for them while law-abiding citizens are seeing their own rights and privileges reduced to help out illegals and I guarantee you that NC and the USA will start down the slippery slope.
The board asks why should these students be punished because of what the parents did. As long as we reward illegal actions on the part of these parents, we just encourage the breaking of our laws. Our country is heading for destriction, one unrational decision after another. Where is common sense?
Google NCCCS and find the Board of Advisors. Find the ones in YOUR area and make sure they are called out individually if they vote FOR this nonsense. Im waiting to see how a certain bank president votes on this...
If they want an education, they should go home! This is not their home, they are illegals.
Remind me again on how community colleges are funded in addition already reduced tuition?
Sincerely,
A distant relative Franco
Fausto Ordonez
HEY, FOLKS...THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM IS GEARING UP TO FIND A WAY TO GET ILLEGALS LEGALLY INTO OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGES. GET ON THE PHONE AND ALSO E-MAIL THEM NOW IF YOU FEEL THE SAME AS 80% OF AMERICANS THAT NOT ONLY IS THAT WRONG, AMNESTY FOR ILLEGALS IS ALSO WRONG.
Below is my letter e-mailed to NC Community College Board today:
September 17, 2009
Mr. Richard Sullins
Executive Director of the NC State Board for Community Colleges
Sullinsr@nccommunitycolleges.edu
(919) 807-6969
Dear Mr. Sullins:
What are you people who are actually public servants and are paid through our hard earned tax dollars thinking? Or, perhaps the better question would be…are you thinking of the welfare of the American citizen and the legal residents of North Carolina? Or, are you an insulated elitist bending to the will of destructive special interests? We have 11% unemployment and climbing in North Carolina. WHY ARE YOU NOT FOCUSING WHAT STATE RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE FOR EDUCATING AND TRAINING UNEMPLOYED CITIZENS FOR JOBS INSTEAD OF FINDING WAYS TO FACILITATE PLACING ILLEGAL ALIENS INTO OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM?
It is beyond the pale that citizen taxpayers are already forced by a miscreant Supreme Court decision to educate illegal alien children through high school and you want to extend educational benefits to illegals in college! Don’t even begin the argument that they will pay their own way because that is absurd. Don’t forget, illegal aliens are called illegal because they are illegally present in the country. Providing educational benefits to illegals only begets more illegal immigration just as providing free medical services, employment, and anchor baby citizenship that opens our entire welfare benefit system to the family.
As a citizen of North Carolina, I am concerned with the possibility of the State Board allowing illegal aliens to attend our community colleges. It is violation of law that illegal aliens are allowed into colleges at all. I would argue that it is in violation of the 'aiding and abetting' statute in the 1986 IRCA (Immigration Reform and Control Act). Even if illegal aliens were to pay out of state tuition, it would not cover the entire cost of their education because of capital costs, often not figured fully into the total cost calculations per student. Therefore, taxpayer subsidization of illegal aliens would occur. Also, why would the Board allow an illegal alien to take a seat in college from a deserving American citizen or legal immigrant? Seats in all of our post-secondary facilities are a limited and highly coveted resource, so why would you put an illegal alien into one? Why should we be in the business of educating and training a group of people who are illegally here and cannot legally be employed? Could you unequivocally state and prove that not one single tax dollar would be used and not one single citizen or LEGAL immigrant would be affected by illegal aliens attending our community colleges?
Furthermore, the people of NC are opposed to allowing illegals to attend community college, as illustrated by the Civitas Institute Decision Maker Poll Results of NC voters:
- 68% of N.C. voters oppose allowing illegal immigrants to enroll in community colleges (February 2008).
..........(PART 1)
- Note: Part 2 is continued below
..............PART 2 of Letter to NC Community College System Board..............
Another poll just released this week by the American Council for Immigration Reform (ANCIR) indicates that 78% of Americans are against amnesty for illegal aliens with the same percentage stating that they believe illegals have had a substantial negative impact on the quality and cost of our health care system. Obviously, you can infer that Americans do not want illegals in our educational system beyond which we are already federally coerced to do so.
The statements you hear from advocates for illegal aliens in favor of them having access to our colleges generally flow around their claim that better educated illegals will be more productive and will assimilate better into our society. This is not only fuzzy thinking, it is faulty logic. It’s very precept is that the illegal gets additional benefits to what they have already enjoyed by illegally remaining and operating here and gives a segment of them what they want – unfettered access to our higher education system (in addition to our primary and secondary education system that they have already utilized). This, of course, will be costly to the American taxpayer whether the illegal pays out of state tuition or not. It also deprives a deserving citizen or legal immigrant of the seat that the illegal would occupy. Another marketing campaign is that a child should not be penalized because of the ‘sins’ of their parents. Allowing access to higher education, however, allows the child to benefit from the fact their parents broke the law and continue to remain here illegally.
I take exception to NCCCS reporting that only 112 illegal aliens are currently enrolled. This is a false and hollow number because it relies on self-reporting and not many illegal immigrants are going to truthfully report their immigration status. I do not believe the admissions office takes any action to investigate or determine status. The number is much larger than what you are officially reporting, and likely numbers in the thousands.
I request that the Board deny admitting illegal immigrants to our community colleges. To do any less is a slap in the face and a hit in the pocketbook to citizens, legal immigrants and their children. I will be following your actions closely and fully expect you to stand up for the rule of law and the LEGAL residents of North Carolina. Remember the definition of “illegal” when coupled with the term immigrant in rendering your decision.
Sincerely,
xxxxx xxxxxxxxxx
cc: rallss@nccommunitycolleges.edu
NOTE: I request copies of my letter be distributed to each member of the Board, including the Board Chair, Ms. Hilda Pinnix-Ragland
Anonymus on September 17, 2009 12:18 a.m. asks WWJD?
He would call illegal aliens a thief and a robber..............
"Amen, amen I say to you: He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up another way, the same is a thief and a robber."
(John 10:1)
TIMELY INFORMATION..............
Illegal Immigrants Account for $10.7 Billion of Nation’s Health Care Costs
The cost of treating illegal aliens amounts to nearly $11 billion a year, according to calculations done by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), a non-profit group that opposes illegal immigration. And that cost is not expected to go away if a health insurance reform bill becomes law…..
….Those costs include the cost of so-called “anchor babies” – babies born to illegal immigrant parents in U.S. hospitals, almost always at taxpayers’ expense.
Martin said that he included this cost in his estimate because while the newborns are technically U.S. citizens, taxpayers would never have had to pay their mothers’ medical bills had they not illegally entered the country.
“If the illegal immigrants were prevented from coming into the country or were encouraged to leave the country, that cost would disappear,” said Martin. “Emergency medical care for the delivery of children is the biggest [cost].”
Each anchor baby costs taxpayers an estimated $10,000 each on average, Martin said. These costs are usually paid through Medicaid, the federal program designed to aid America’s poor.
“It’s the same [cost] as any other Medicaid birth, it’s the delivery expenses that average in the neighborhood of about $10,000 per delivery,” he said.
Emergency room care for adults is another “significant” part of illegals’ overall burden, Martin said, one that is primarily borne by states, which subsidize the hospitals whose emergency rooms must treat illegal immigrants, no matter how minor their illness might be.
“It’s a fairly significant contribution,” Martin said, “it comes out of the pocket of the states for the most part because of the fact that it is not covered by Medicaid. The federal government has had a program of partial reimbursement of those expenses but that hasn’t been renewed [by this Congress]. It didn’t begin to cover those expenses [anyway].”
That $10.7 billion is not spread evenly throughout the country, Martin explained, but is borne primarily by states with high populations of illegal aliens -- states such as California, Texas, and Florida……
…..Illegals accounted for 13.1 percent of all federal costs of covering the uninsured in 2004, an estimated $2.2 billion per year. Seventeen percent of households headed by an illegal immigrant were using Medicaid, accounting for 1.7 percent of all Medicaid recipients.
These trends look to continue if President Obama gets his way on health care reform, Martin said, because the legislation currently making its way through Congress would leave “very large” loopholes, loopholes that are not likely to be closed.
“The current health care bill is looking as if it is leaving a very large loophole for medical coverage being provided to illegal aliens….. MORE AT: http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=51751
The Cost of Illegal Immigration to North Carolinians
Familarize yourself with the latest study just released on the impact of illegal immigration to North Carolinians here: http://www.fairus.org/site/DocServer/nc_costs.pdf?docID=2441
You won't see its findings and contents discussed by the dinosaur media because they'd rather you not be aware. In short, it costs our state $1.3 billion annually for just incarceration - emergency medical care - education services to illegal immigrants. That figure does not include English instruction, law enforcement/courts, translators, assistance for public housing, food stamps, welfare payments, etc. Other factors not considered in the reports are job losses by citizens to illegal aliens and the depression of wages in the construction, landscaping, assembly, food processing and service sectors that most illegal aliens are employed in.
Also, the cost to North Carolinians of their share of the impact that illegal immigration places on 15 federal department was not included.
Overall, the cost of illegal immigration nationally is in excess of $100 billion annually.
Another item gleaned from the study I cited is the remittances of $1.2 billion annually from illegal immigrants in North Carolina to Mexico. Nationwide, $26 billion in remittances is transferred from the U.S. to Mexico. This is money that is permanently transferred from our economy to a foreign country due to the non-enforcement of hiring laws.
It costs the taxpayers of NC $8,150 per year to educate a public school student. Are you outraged that it costs the taxpayers at least $975 MILLION DOLLARS to educate the children of illegal aliens?!?
If not...why not???!!!
For detailed information on education expenses of illegal aliens in NC, see pages 3-5 of the analysis at this link: http://www.fairus.org/site/DocServer/nc_costs.pdf?docID=2441
Pudgy philandering futurist Newt Gingrich has always opposed brown people and their filthy ghetto language, Spanish. Which is why (??) he is launching a Spanish-language political web site, because he might as well try to make some money off these dirty people.
Gingrich Communications has launched The Americano, a bilingual political news site aimed at Latinos that "will seek to make a profit from advertising."
This is the champion of Hypocrisy.
That is why many decent and honest bloggers of many colors ( including White ) are so important. To unmask this Hypocrite.
Hypocrite means "mask" in Ancient Greek, the "Hypocrite" is the mask of the Actor in the Greek Theater.
We have to show the Lies, the Bastardy and Hypocrisy of some Republicans. To all Latinos, so that they don't commit the mistake of voting for the scoundrels that despise and harm them, and that want to evict and dislodge everything Hispanic from the USA, including the language and the culture.
The Politics, Statistics, Demography, Numbers, and Polls of Latinos :
Milenials.com
Vicente Duque
VICENTE...your comment "Pudgy philandering futurist Newt Gingrich has always opposed brown people and their filthy ghetto language" sounds racist to me. BTW, with your racially charged statement you need to provide facts and examples to back up your accusations and diatribe. Waiting...waiting...waiting..waiting...
The First and Greatest Welfare Babies in the World - Cry Babies that were given the Electromagnetic Spectrum - Public Goods for a few - Freedom of Speech
I receive some comments of People telling me that I am an enemy of Free Speech because I criticize Glenn Beck or Ruch Limbaugh, etc ...
I think that it is a good thing to characterize these guys as irresponsible Hate Merchants and their Employers and Patrons too.
It is not an attack on Freedom of Speech or First Ammendment or Whatever Philosophy ... I am not asking jail for them. I am just promoting Truth and Sobriety, instead of Lies, Madness and Verbal Intemperance to become Rich with Hatred.
I am just showing how Imbecile, Idiotic, Hypocrite and Clownish they are ( with weeping and sobbing ! ... crying and yelling ! and interjections of "God Almighty !!" foolishness - They are Ridiculous Histrionics )
They are the First and Greatest Welfare Babies in the World, because the Electromagnetic Spectrum ( inside cables or airwaves ) has been given to them. ( Forever ??? )
A Public Good like the Electromagnetic Frequencies was given to a few so that they may become Multimillionaires. And they use it to promote Hate, Fear and Racism. And to promote their own corrupt economic interests.
Raciality.com
Vicente Duque
I think allowing anyone to further their education and pursue a higher education is an excellent idea. This will only serve to further benefit our nation. More students in schools means more money going to the schools and more jobs for educators and staff. Allowing undocumented students the chance for a higher education will only benefit our economy by producing more educated people who will go on to make positive and professional contributions to our economy and to their communities. Rather than being concerned about the documentation status of bright and capable students, we should be more concerned about the many U.S. citizens who ignorantly choose to dropout of high school, dooming themselves to a life of low income and a marginal existence, ultimately becoming a burden on tax-payer funded social services. More educated people are better for everyone overall. It is morally wrong to deny a person access to education if they are capable and have the means to pursue it. I'm glad the NC state board is allowing undocumented students to pursue higher education.
I GUESS YOU BLEEDING HEART ILLEGAL ALIEN HUGGERS MISSED THIS...So, therefore I repost:
The Cost of Illegal Immigration to North Carolinians
Familarize yourself with the latest study just released on the impact of illegal immigration to North Carolinians here: http://www.fairus.org/site/DocServer/nc_costs.pdf?docID=2441
You won't see its findings and contents discussed by the dinosaur media because they'd rather you not be aware. In short, it costs our state $1.3 billion annually for just incarceration - emergency medical care - education services to illegal immigrants. That figure does not include English instruction, law enforcement/courts, translators, assistance for public housing, food stamps, welfare payments, etc. Other factors not considered in the reports are job losses by citizens to illegal aliens and the depression of wages in the construction, landscaping, assembly, food processing and service sectors that most illegal aliens are employed in.
Also, the cost to North Carolinians of their share of the impact that illegal immigration places on 15 federal department was not included.
Overall, the cost of illegal immigration nationally is in excess of $100 billion annually.
Another item gleaned from the study I cited is the remittances of $1.2 billion annually from illegal immigrants in North Carolina to Mexico. Nationwide, $26 billion in remittances is transferred from the U.S. to Mexico. This is money that is permanently transferred from our economy to a foreign country due to the non-enforcement of hiring laws
Furthermore, FAIR points out that the cost of educating a public school student in NC is $8,150 per year which translates into an annual expenditure of $975 million for illegal aliens and the U.S. born children of illegal aliens in our state. Is this alone not an outrage? Just think, using that $8,150 cost and multiplying it by 13 (K – 12 school years) produces a cost of $105,950 over the term of the illegal alien child!!! That is money forfeited by taxpayers to educate them and now our NC CCS wants to welcome illegal aliens in with open arms!!!
Zeezil: Of course you would only use statistics from FAIR to back up your argument because FAIR is a notoriously anti-immigrant organization. It is far from non-partisan and has a strong anti-immigrant agenda. So naturally their statistics are skewed to fit within their agenda. In fact, FAIR advocates changes in U.S. immigration policy that would result in significant reductions in immigration, both legal and illegal. Its founder, John Tanton, is also the founder of a number of other anti-immigrant and xenophobic groups. They produce policy rhetoric that is often inflammatory, clearly anti-immigrant, and partisan. FAIR is also listed as a hate group with the Southern Poverty Law Center. Its representatives have long expressed controversial anti-Latino and anti-Catholic attitudes, and some key officials are members of white supremacist groups. So that is there agenda. You really should stop relying on infotainment such as FAIR, Lou Dobbs, Glen Beck, etc., for your information, and start relying on real data gleaned from scholarly and empirical research.
Zeezil: Regarding your previous query as to why students should benefit by receiving a higher education (and ultimately why we all would benefit from having more educated people in our country) here are a few items:
-Every year, thousands of undocumented immigrant students who were brought to the United States as children graduate from high school. Many graduate at the top of their class, yet higher education remains an elusive opportunity. Due to their status, they lack access to loans, federal grants, most private scholarships, and they typically have to pay out-of-state tuition rates regardless of how long they have resided in a state. A large number of otherwise highly qualified undocumented immigrant students drop out of high school due to the lack of opportunities available after high school, exacerbating an already significant dropout crisis among American students in general. Undocumented immigrants students who might otherwise have gone on to become highly productive and contributing members of society are forced to remain in a marginal existence. That's wrong for them and it's wrong to deny their contributions to America.
-It's cruel and wrongheaded, as well as morally wrong and unethical, to deny undocumented students higher education and an opportunity to obtain legal status.
-These students would ultimately pay more taxes and make greater contributions as professionals and citizens rather than be reduced to a life of poverty relying on social services and government handouts like many other American citizens who choose not to pursue higher education.
-At the end of the day, the American people will eventually realize that undocumented immigrants are a valuable national resource of additional human capital that should be tapped for reasons of pragmatism, equity, civil rights, and humanitarianism rather than rejected.
...continued
Tamar Jacoby of Immigration Works USA, states:
"These youth are special, and they deserve special consideration. They’ve committed no known crime and have struggled against long odds, often with impressive results. For our sake as much as theirs, it makes sense to welcome them into American life — to allow them to finish their educations, serve in the military, begin careers and realize their rich potential.
But the legislation and its beneficiaries also teach two larger lessons — lessons that apply beyond this small group.
First, immigrants – the vast majority of immigrants — bring drive and skills to America. The Dream kids are stars — strivers of special promise. But they’re far from the only immigrants, legal and illegal, who help make the country prosperous and vital. Two-thirds of the students in U.S. university computer science and engineering programs are foreign-born. So are 25 percent of doctors and nurses. Immigrants hold a quarter of U.S. patents.
And even at the bottom of the economy, foreign workers’ willingness to take any job, anywhere, helps the economy run more efficiently. Because they are different than most Americans, either more or less educated, immigrants complement rather than compete with us — which makes us more productive and grows the economic pie for everyone.
Second, immigrants are assimilating, and we ought to reward them for it. The kids who would be covered under the Dream Act have mastered English. They’ve graduated from high school, often in families and neighborhoods where that’s difficult and discouraged. They’ve learned enough about America not just to fit in, but to succeed here. And many are willing to risk their lives for their new country.
But millions of newcomers, legal and illegal, are taking similar steps — although we do virtually nothing to help or encourage them. On the contrary, if they entered the country illegally — responding to our mixed signals, half-forbidding but half-inviting them to come do work we need done –- we bar them from the very steps we say we want most from them: moving up the socioeconomic ladder and becoming fully participating members of society.
The lesson is obvious: Our fear and misplaced moralism are blinding us to our own interests."
How can having additional educated people in our county be a bad thing?
Paul:
You may wish to wallow in ignorance and use blatant lies in pushing your pro-illegal immigration agenda but give the other readers more credit. They know where you’re coming from using the oldest trick in the open borders playbook, accusing anyone and every group that supports enforcement of our immigration laws as anti-immigrant and racist. Au contraire mon frère, we are opposed to ILLEGAL immigration in all shapes, matter and form by supporting the rule of law. That is neither racist nor anti-immigrant. Those immigrants that follow the process, abide by our laws and come through the front door are heartedly welcomed. Those that choose to violate our laws, enter ILLEGALLY and lie, cheat and steal to remain and operate here are rejected.
I think every-one should have a chance to education. Yes some illegal immigrants have done wrong but what about the one who have done nothing wrong and just came here to work what they should go to jail or be killed just because they were born in another place! What about the ones that do pay tax's, work and have never done any thing wrong.
Becasue the U.S owns alot of money right now i think we should offer them Citizen-ship but only to the ones that have payed tax and have made no crime in their lives what about if they pay a fee to become citizens like 1,500 for each person that way the U.S could pay off the money to other counrys just think about it in a family of four thats 6,000 dollars! wow i am good i sould work for the government!
:)
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