Thread: GA: Verify student citizenship, regents urged

mdjonline.com
Verify student citizenship, regents urged
by Kim Isaza
newseditor@ mdjonline.com
May 12, 2010 12:00 AM

ATLANTA - Sen. Eric Johnson, Republican candidate for governor, urged the Board of Regents to make citizenship verification a component of the college admissions process, amid Journal reports that Jessica Colotl, an illegal immigrant, was paying in-state tuition at Kennesaw State University.

"The point I'm making is to start with the Board of Regents, to create a citizenship verification for any student applying to a university, to make sure Georgia taxpayers are not subsidizing those who are not in this country legally," Johnson said.

"When we passed Georgia's tough illegal immigration law, three years ago when I was leading the Senate, we required the Board of Regents to establish a policy for nonresidents. They apparently did not do that, and I'm calling on them to do that or I will add it to my platform and if elected governor, I will do it by law," Johnson said.

The 18-member Board of Regents, which oversees Georgia's 35 state colleges and universities, began the first day of a two-day meeting in Atlanta on Tuesday, and one of its first actions was approving tuition increases as part of the University System's fiscal 2011 budget. At Kennesaw State, tuition will increase by 15 percent per semester.

As for how Johnson made his request to the Regents, he demurred.

"I think they got the message. We're making difficult budget situations, as we're furloughing professors. They're very well aware that a leading candidate for governor is not happy that illegal immigrants are using some of our limited resources."

Cobb's two candidates for attorney general also weighed in Tuesday on the Jessica Colotl case.

Colotl, 21, was booked into Cobb County Jail on March 30, a day after a campus traffic stop for which she could not provide a valid driver's license. She was turned over to immigration authorities and reportedly taken to an immigration detention center in Gadsden, Ala., on April 1.

"In my opinion, she should not receive in-state tuition or be eligible for HOPE scholarship," Republican Sam Olens said. "Those benefits should be given to legal, Georgia residents."

"It would be in purview of the attorney general to send a memo to all state institutions that they make sure every individual receiving HOPE or in-state tuition is legally in this country," Olens said.

University President Dr. Dan Papp's office confirmed to the Journal last week that Colotl was paying the lower, in-state tuition.

It remains unclear whether Colotl was receiving the HOPE scholarship. U.S. citizenship is not required to receive the scholarship, though the application defines an "eligible non-citizen" as someone with a permanent resident alien card; or certain other immigration and/or homeland security documents. People on student visas are not eligible for the HOPE scholarship.

Rob Teilhet, a Smyrna Democrat in the state House who is seeking his party's nomination in the Attorney General's race, said such actions don't seem right.

"It's hard for me to see why the university's lawyer was acting as an advocate on behalf of a student. For the university to be doing that, seems to me to be outside of their mission," Teilhet said, though he said he had no inside knowledge of what exactly the university did to help her. Still, "to the extent Papp directed that, it was inappropriate," Teilhet said.

Colotl has since been released, and immigration authorities agreed to defer any action against her for one year. On Tuesday, Papp disputed Journal reports that the university went to extensive efforts to assist Colotl.

After learning of Colotl's arrest, KSU attorney Flora Devine called the Mexican consulate to make them aware of the situation, Papp writes, and KSU's chief student affairs officer talked with the president of Colotl's sorority "to inquire what assistance KSU could provide."

Papp himself spoke to Colotl's lawyer on April 28 and agreed to submit an affidavit on her behalf. That letter reads, in part: "I write to request that within the letter of the law, Jessica be provided every opportunity to stay at, or return to, Kennesaw State University," Papp said Tuesday in a written response to the Journal.

"That was, and is, the extent of KSU's involvement in Ms. Colotl's case," he wrote.

Meanwhile Tuesday, Americans for Immigration Control, a non-partisan, anti-illegal immigration organization, urged the Regents to fire Papp.

"Kennesaw State University President Daniel Papp should be removed by the Georgia Board of Regents for breaking state and federal laws by granting in-state tuition to a known illegal alien student and for using the university's taxpayer-funded resources to stop her deportation process," the group's spokesman, Phil Kent, said in a statement.

http://www.mdjonline.com/view/full_stor ... _news_left

If they have enough money to subsidize an illegal alien's college education, why are they increasing tuition rates? Limited resources and especially US tax dollars should not be spent on illegal aliens period.

The university president who interceded and used the university lawyer, who is funded by our taxpayers, actually wrote a letter to the editor. We have a law here in GA that all overlook that NO public benefits, including college as well as public funded infrastructure work, shall have no illegals benefit.

http://www.mdjonline.com/pages/full_...mments_7394798

DEAR EDITOR:

I write to set the record straight regarding recent Marietta Daily Journal articles about KSU's role in the Jessica Colotl matter.

Although Ms. Colotl was arrested on March 30, KSU's administration did not become aware of her arrest until April 26. On that date, we were informed that she was arrested for obstructing traffic and driving without a license; that she had an expired Mexican passport; and that she was in the custody of the Immigration Control and Enforcement Agency.

With that being the extent of our knowledge, I asked KSU Attorney Flora Devine to determine Ms. Colotl's status. Ms. Devine called the Mexican consulate and a former Mexican consul general to make them aware of Ms. Colotl's situation. She also contacted Ms. Colotl's lawyer. Meanwhile, KSU's chief student affairs officer talked with the president of Ms. Colotl's sorority to inquire what assistance KSU could provide.

On April 28, I talked with Ms. Colotl's lawyer, who asked if I would submit a letter in the form of an affidavit for Ms. Colotl, whose case was to be heard on April 30 by the Atlanta Immigration Court. I did so, with the letter being based on the facts as we understood them on April 28. The letter in part reads: "I write to request that within the letter of the law (emphasis added), Jessica be provided every opportunity to stay at, or return to, Kennesaw State University."

That was, and is, the extent of KSU's involvement in Ms. Colotl's case.

On April 30, the Immigration Court ruled that Ms. Colotl had to leave the United States within 20 days. The case was closed.

On May 5, ICE informed Ms. Colotl that she could stay in the country until May 5, 2011, to complete her studies. No one at KSU was involved in, or lobbied for, that decision.

Let me now turn to the Around Town column on Tuesday headlined "No Mas!" which implies that I avoided talking with the MDJ. I did not learn about the interview request until 2:30 p.m. Monday, at which time I was off campus attending to several pressing university matters. I simply did not have time to talk that day and instructed KSU's spokeswoman to re-issue the statement KSU issued last Friday as a final statement. I have always been, and remain, willing to talk with the MDJ, even though I am not always able to do so immediately.

Finally, while KSU did assist Ms. Colotl as related above, no effort to "spring her from an Alabama immigration jail and let her pay in-state tuition" ever occurred. Now that Ms. Colotl has been identified as undocumented, she will pay out-of-state tuition, as do all other known undocumented students.

Please be assured that KSU and I comply fully with the letter and intent of U.S. and Georgia law, and with Board of Regents policies. At the same time, we are pleased that ICE, with no KSU involvement, allowed Ms. Colotl to pursue the completion of her degree before she returns to Mexico.

I hope that this clarifies what actually did, and did not, occur.

Dan Papp
President
Kennesaw State University

Public comments are allowed. Go at him.


As discussed in earlier news but conveniently overlooked by our honorable university president, the student actually gave false information to the police and ICE. Her address, phone number, etc. are invalid and the newspaper was unable to reach her.

Dr. Papp failed to answer how an illegal was allowed to attend KSU. I want him to answer that one. Then, I want to know how she paid for school and how many others there are in the same situation at KSU.

http://www.usg.edu/contact/

Contact page for Board of Regents. You can let them know how you feel about Dr. Papp and educating illegals.

http://www.mdjonline.com/view/full_stor ... =home_blog

Should he stay or should he go?