Thread: Indiana to allow funds for children of illegal immigrants.

January 08. 2007 6:59AM

Indiana to allow funds for children of illegal immigrants.

http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pb ... /701080315

ELKHART (AP) -- The state and the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana have settled a lawsuit over a scholarship program that denied eligibility to the native-born students of parents who were in the country illegally.

Under a settlement filed recently in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis, the state no longer will require parents to be U.S. citizens or legal aliens for their children to receive aid under the 21st Century Scholars program, The Truth newspaper reported Sunday.

"There was a real problem. You can't have someone who's a U.S. resident be denied benefits because of the status of their parents," said Ken Falk, legal director of the ACLU of Indiana. "The purpose of 21st Century scholarship program is to encourage bright and upwardly mobile students to go to school in Indiana and stay in Indiana. To deny them seems to be outrageous."


The scholarship program helps students who are U.S. citizens and have graduated from an Indiana high school pay for four years of tuition in a public college or university. It's intended to help low- to moderate-income families, reduce the number of high-school dropouts and increase the number of students going to college. The amount of the scholarship varies.

The ACLU of Indiana brought the case last March on behalf of a former Elkhart County high school student identified only as E.C. in court documents. The girl, who was born in the United States, applied to the 21st Century Scholars Program while in seventh grade using her own Social Security number. Problems arose once she graduated and was asked for her parents' Social Security numbers to receive her scholarship.

The settlement will apply to past, present and future students who were found ineligible or did not apply because their parents were not U.S. citizens or legal aliens, the Truth report said. Affected students must be notified before the court can approve the settlement.

State officials said no students were denied eligibility because their parents were not citizens or lawful aliens, but acknowledge 73 applications were returned because students did not list Social Security numbers for their parents or guardians. Those applicants will be notified and receive new applications, the settlement stipulates.

The ACLU and the state are asking affected students to apply again no later than March 10 of this year.

The settlement will apply to past, present and future students who were found ineligible or did not apply because their parents were not U.S. citizens or legal aliens, the Truth report said. Affected students must be notified before the court can approve the settlement.

State officials said no students were denied eligibility because their parents were not citizens or lawful aliens, but acknowledge 73 applications were returned because students did not list Social Security numbers for their parents or guardians. Those applicants will be notified and receive new applications, the settlement stipulates.

The ACLU and the state are asking affected students to apply again no later than March 10 of this year.

LOOK at the ACLU trying to bilk the system out of money for anchor babies and illegal aliens.

Apply now! It's an ACLU grab fest for Buzzard Attorneys and Dishonest Illegal Aliens.

Dixie

I totally hate admitting this, but I think the reversal of the law to ban American citizen children from being considered for the scholarship was the correct thing to do. The child should be eligible based on who she or he is, not what the parent is - and the truth of the matter is - these children are American citizens. It's the law that granted them citizenship that needs changed, not the benefits they should be entitled too. In other words we shouldn't discriminate against an American citizens because of a flawed law, regardless of what we think - it is the law. Of course if our federal government would have enforced our laws and done their job the parents and child(ren) would have been deported long before the child reached college age!

Dixie wrote:

It's an ACLU grab fest for Buzzard Attorneys and Dishonest Illegal Aliens.

So true, Dixie

Originally Posted by MW

I totally hate admitting this, but I think the reversal of the law to ban American citizen children from being considered for the scholarship was the correct thing to do. The child should be eligible based on who she or he is, not what the parent is - and the truth of the matter is - these children are American citizens. It's the law that granted them citizenship that needs changed, not the benefits they should be entitled too. In other words we shouldn't discriminate against an American citizens because of a flawed law, regardless of what we think - it is the law. Of course if our federal government would have enforced our laws and done their job the parents and child(ren) would have been deported long before the child reached college age!

It is a misinterperation that is giving them citizenship. They need to return to their own country.