Thread: Florida Lawmaker wants in-state tuition for kids of illegals

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/ ... 363711.htm

Posted on Mon, Apr. 17, 2006


Lawmaker wants in-state tuition for kids of illegal immigrants

ANDREA FANTA
Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - State representative Juan Zapata's appeal to his colleagues Monday about about charging children of illegal immigrants in-state tuition for a college education had a personal tone.

Zapata, a Republican lawmaker from Miami, was born in Peru and raised in Columbia. His family moved to the U.S. when he was a child and earned American citizenship. Zapata later finished a bachelor's degree at Florida International University and, four years ago, entered state politics.

But some immigrant children aren't as lucky as he was, Zapata said. So he wants to give children of illegal immigrants a chance at success by charging them in-state tuition.

"This really is a bill about access and about kids who have done nothing wrong being able to earn a college education," Zapata said. "These are very bright students, some of them are at the top of their class."

This is the fourth time Zapata will try to pass the measure. Under this year's bill (HB 119), undocumented students who study at a Florida high school for three years and graduate could pay in-state tuition at public colleges and universities. At least nine other states have passed similar legislation.

"These have pretty much been raised here. They shouldn't be penalized for decisions their parents made...why should we force them to be valet parkers or other menial workers?" Zapata said. "Those kids who work that much harder, why should we shut the door on them when they finish high school - and to a certain degree, to our detriment?"

The concept has run into opposition nationally and locally, where opponents say the measure rewards parents for breaking the law and takes enrollment spots from other immigrant and American-born students who are here legally.

"I'm not really happy about it," said Rhoda Smith, an Orlando nurse who also volunteers with the Minutemen Florida Corps, an affiliate of the grassroots group that performs their own citizen patrols of border crossings in states like California.

"We have American citizens who would love to go to college," Smith said. "These people aren't even legal ... I don't believe that's fair. I am not racist, my friends are from everywhere. You come over here, you do everything right, I think it's fantastic."

Estimates about how many undocumented students are making their way through Florida's K-12 system are shaky, especially since the state's education department doesn't require officials to ask about students' immigration status.

The Pew Hispanic Center, which studies one of the nation's largest immigrant groups, estimates that nearly 4 million children have parents who are "unauthorized migrants." The organization estimates that nearly 3 million of those children are American by birth but belong to undocumented immigrant parents.

The bill must still clear a vote in the House Education Council before going to the floor for final debate. The Senate version of the legislation (SB 366) must still clear two committees.

Quote:
"These have pretty much been raised here. They shouldn't be penalized for decisions their parents made...why should we force them to be valet parkers or other menial workers?" Zapata said. "Those kids who work that much harder, why should we shut the door on them when they finish high school - and to a certain degree, to our detriment?"
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They SHOULD "be penalized for the decisions their parents made." Let them go to colleges where their parents came from. After all, their parents KNEW what the consequences would be if they entered the country illegally.