By Dimitri Vassilaros
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, July 14, 2006

Just when it seems apologists for illegal immigration could not be more brazen in their ceaseless campaigns to force this republic to treat illegals and law-abiding Americans as equals, they become more so. Picture a university in America for the so-called undocumented workers.

The Esperanza Montessori Academy, a K-12 charter school in South Phoenix, quietly is working with Catholic University of Trujillo in Peru to build a school designed with undocumented immigrants in mind, according to The Business Journal of Phoenix.

It will be built on five acres of the charter school's 14-acre campus, Fernando Ruiz told The Business Journal. Mr. Ruiz is president of Espiritu Development Corp., operator of the academy. He figures it can be built for about $2 million and have about 500 students when it opens in 2007. Yes, 500.

Telephone calls to the school were not returned.

Memo to the mascot search committee of Undocu U.: "Aztec Warrior" is taken. The Aztecs are San Diego State University teams. Perhaps the committee could create a school mascot inspired by Mexico's humiliating loss in its 19th century war with America. That's the one that transferred ownership of much of the now-American southwest from the vanquished Mexicans.

And that coincidentally is the land that slowly is being reconquered by illegals who no doubt one day will claim ownership based on squatters rights. Maybe a liberal court will rule in their favor. Maybe possession is nine-tenths of the law.

Arizona state Sen. Dean Martin wants to ensure that there will be no tax subsidies for Undocu U.

Federal law allows schools to operate even when they accept illegals, Mr. Martin said. "This school is not part of the university system," he says about the proposed privately operated institution.

How much of a burden to state taxpayers are illegal alien university students in Arizona?

"We suspect it's a big problem" Martin said about the number of illegal students. "But we don't know how bad because (the institutes of higher learning) do not ask. And we are not even allowed to ask in public schools." But if illegals apply for government grants or scholarships -- and why wouldn't they since they act like virtual Americans -- the state can demand to know the applicants' immigration status and refuse to offer illegals money.

Martin has introduced a bill that lists exactly what programs or services cannot be funded with tax dollars. It is not unlike the recent Proposition 200 on the Arizona ballot, which voters passed overwhelmingly. Alas, the Arizona governor, a Democrat, of course, used the strictest interpretation of the law to rationalize ignoring almost all of it, Martin said.

"In this state we cut checks each week for illegal-immigrant mothers," he said. That might explain why illegals are clogging child care programs and adult education classes while mothers who are here legally or who are American citizens cannot get it, he said.

"We are trying to not subsidize those breaking the law," Martin says of the never-ending sheer brazenness. "It's absurd that the state is subsidizing illegal behavior."


Dimitri Vassilaros is a Trib editorial page columnist. His column appears Sundays, Mondays and Fridays. Call him at 412-380-5637. E-mail him at dvassilaros@tribweb.com.


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