ALIPAC: Community colleges open doors to illegal immigrants

[ALIPAC]

Community colleges open doors to illegal immigrants

Online Exclusive
By: Amy Eagleburger, Senior Writer
Issue date: 11/29/07 Section: State & National


The N.C. Community College System decided this month to require all system schools to admit illegal immigrants, altering a 2004 decision to leave that admissions decision up to the individual colleges.

The rights of illegal immigrants have become a hot topic in North Carolina, which has one of the highest illegal immigrant populations in the country.

Chancy Kapp, assistant to the president for external affairs for the NCCCS, said system attorney David Sullivan conducted a study that prompted the decision.

"In his opinion the system had been misinterpreting the open-door policy - we were not allowed to put nonacademic barriers to applicants," Kapp said.

About 300 illegal immigrants are currently enrolled in the state's 58 comprehensive community colleges and pay out-of-state tuition, Kapp said. Total system enrollment in full-time programs is nearly 200,000.

Most of the schools already admit illegal immigrants, but the recent decision has forced some, like Wake County Technical Community College, to revise their admissions policy.

"We don't have a choice, so now we're going to abide by what the state board is requiring us to do, and that's fine," said Laurie Clowers, the college's public relations director.

In the past, the college has required applicants to show appropriate documentation to prove their residency and immigration status. Now it will simply treat illegal immigrants as out-of-state students.

Clowers said that she does not expect the new regulations to appreciably increase enrollment and that the number turned away in the past because of immigration status is not significant.

The decision adds to the current illegal immigrant debate, including whether or not illegal aliens should be allowed driver's licenses and be eligible for in-state tuition at community colleges.

"We shouldn't be training illegal aliens for jobs that it is illegal for them to have," said William Gheen, president of the Raleigh-based Americans for Legal Immigration Political Action Committee.

"Those community colleges have been built by generations of taxpayers, and public polls show that 80 percent of North Carolinians don't want any taxpayer benefits or welfare going to illegal aliens."

Closer to the border, El Paso Community College in Texas has been admitting illegal immigrants since classes began in 1972.

"We don't ask if they're legal or not; we just ask if they are a resident or not," said Paula Chavez, admissions manager for the college's international students office. "We're not a policing agency. However, we do tell them that there are chances they take when they cross the bridge."

Chavez said that El Paso's location as a border town has made admitting illegal immigrants into degree programs a natural choice. The only time it is ever political is if a student is caught crossing the border.

All illegal immigrants are directed to the college's international office, where they can fill out the I-20 form to receive a student visa, which allows them to legally complete a degree program. Approximately 400 to 600 of the college's 24,000 students per semester have such a visa.

In North Carolina, the Americans for Legal Immigration PAC will be making every effort to rally voters against allowing illegal immigrants into the state's education system.

"We are going to launch a state PAC to ensure that every voter knows which lawmakers stand for or against this issue in illegal immigration by next November. We're going to be bringing in national resources to aid in the battle in North Carolina," he said.

"All hell is about to break loose."


http://media.www.dailytarheel.com

[LegalUSCitizen]

In all honesty, besides the principles involved, regarding law and order, besides the fact that this only promotes further illegal activity in our country, my concern here as a parent is terrorism.

The college cannot fully verify a persons criminal background if they are admitted to the college as illegal aliens. The person can easily lie on the application form. They could be admitting some extremely dangerous individuals and eventually they most likely will.

Not only eighteen year olds attend community colleges and even an 18 year old can be involved in terrorism, as we well know.

I expect MORE from U.S. colleges and universities. I expect MORE in the way of maintaining security for our kids and citizens and I expect MORE in respecting the laws of the United States where their institutions operate and make money. Big money.

If they want to provide people from other countries with an education then open satelite campuses in other countries.

As a U.S. citizen, I demand that they place the safety and well-being of U.S. citizens and legal residents and immigrants FIRST.

I think these community colleges are doing this for the purpose of making more money. Plain and simple.

[ALIPAC]

added to the homepage

http://www.alipac.us/article2746.html

[Dixie]

Send them home or charge them the international tuition rate. The colleges and universities in many of their homelands are cheaper than US tuitions.

Discounting their education so they can earn a degree for a job they are not allowed to have in the US makes no sense to me.

Dixie

[MW]

Dixie wrote:

Discounting their education so they can earn a degree for a job they are not allowed to have in the US makes no sense to me.

Nor me, Dixie. Furthermore, how can this not be considered aiding and abetting illegal immigrants?

[AnswerMan]

It is bad enough that U.S. citizens must devote tax dollars toward educating people to hold jobs they have no legal right to hold. But as Nick Cavuto asked, what does this say to LEGAL immigrants who paid the fees, filled out the forms, and jumped through the hoops to reside here legally? Should THEY have to devote their legally earned tax dollars toward educating people to hold jobs they have no legal right to hold ... especially when the children of LEGAL immigrants will be competing for those very same jobs?

What a travesty.

This must be dealt with on a Federal level, not a state level, to discourage other states from copycatting this practice. We need Federal legislation in place that:

A) Denies all Federal funding to colleges that admit students without proof of legal residency.

B) Denies all Federal highway funding to states that issue driver licenses without proof of legal residency.

C) Denies all Federal health/welfare funding to states that grant public assistance entitlement money to persons who cannot prove legal residency.

D) Denies all Federal funding ... period ... to states that allow voter registration without proof of citizenship.

...and...

E) Denies all Federal funding ... period ... to so-called "sanctuary cities."

If colleges, states, and cities want to aid and abet illegal immigrants, fine. Let them do it on their OWN dime, not mine.

[Richard]

I agree with Dixie rather than the initiative. I think that the illegal alien students should not get a discounted rate but if they are willing to pay out of state or international rates it helps them and us. I do not say it on the basis of their going to work here. It is that having an education and being able to speak English can reduce their advantage of being here. Having those skills means higher wages in their home countries where they are rarer.

[SOSADFORUS]

Excuse me, what am I missing here and when did colleges begin giving student Visa's. Are they saying illegals can go and get a student visa just like that!!

All illegal immigrants are directed to the college's international office, where they can fill out the I-20 form to receive a student visa, which allows them to legally complete a degree program. Approximately 400 to 600 of the college's 24,000 students per semester have such a visa.

Does this student visa all of a sudden make them here legally ?? does anyone know?


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PLEASE TAKE ACTION!!!! 11/29
HELP STOP "NORTH CAROLINA COMMUNITY COLLEGES" FROM ADMITTING ILLEGALS !!(This could come to your community college next)
WATCH VIDEO!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zxJZBecp_0
ACTION THREAD( CONTACT INFORMATION)
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-92278.html
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http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=C ... page&pid=9

[Richard]

I did not catch that part thank you fpr pointing it out. Here in Massachusetts the schools just waive the requirement. To grant them a right to residence? I do not know....hmmm

[zeezil]

Keep in mind, Patriots...you do not need to live in North Carolina to make calls, e-mails, faxes, etc. I've had very few who I've called ask me my residency. Even if they do, tell them where you live and that you are outraged because this decision by North Carolina affects the entire nation by futher extending benefits to illegal aliens. It is pure and simple, aiding and abetting illegal aliens. Let them know the entire country is outraged! The more people that call overall, the better and those that call from outside the state need to let them know the entire country is WATCHING!!!