AZ Rep. Wants Schools To Check Students' Immigration Status

Sarah Buduson
Reporter, KPHO.com

POSTED: 9:01 pm MST January 24, 2011
UPDATED: 8:56 am MST January 25, 2011

PHOENIX -- State Rep. Carl Seel, R-District 6, wants to find out how much money Arizona spends educating illegal immigrants.

"We have to step up to the plate and find out how it much costs us," said Seel.

Seel has proposed a law that would require school districts to collect immigration data on their students.

Under Seel's proposal, schools would also be required to calculate the cost of educating students who are not legal residents.

School districts that fail to complete a yearly report on the subject would lose state aid.

"When you come here illegally, and you expect public benefits, and you tax the citizenry for a patently illegal act, that is fundamentally wrong," said Seel.

Arizona Education Association President Andrew Morrill said he disagrees with Seel's proposal.

Morrill said the proposed law is unconstitutional because courts have ruled states cannot attempt to enforce immigration issues.

"Federal laws actually say you can't ask someone this information." said Morrill. "It really gets the mission of public schools wrong."

Morrill also said the law would create an accounting nightmare for schools because they are not set up to separate data by immigration status.

(Video at Link)

http://www.kpho.com/news/26602952/detail.html