Iowa Law To Reward Illegal Immigrants


Last Updated: Fri, 02/12/2010 - 4:58pm

A Midwest state that saw hundreds of illegal immigrants arrested in the nation's largest workplace raids wants to offer undocumented aliens a precious taxpayer-financed benefit by passing a controversial law previously defeated in its legislature.

A bill in the Iowa House (Iowa Opportunities and Workforce Act) aims to give illegal immigrants discounted in-state tuition—not even granted to U.S. citizens of other states—at public colleges and universities. Ten states—including California, Texas, New York and Illinois—currently offer illegal immigrants the costly perk which has been legally challenged in at least two states.

At the request of immigration advocates, sympathetic Iowa legislators have twice attempted to pass a measure to grant illegal aliens tuition at the cheaper resident rates. In 2004 a bill was approved by the state House but defeated in the Senate and three years later the measure was re-introduced but stalled before reaching the House floor.

Proponents of illegal immigrants are confident that the third time is the charm. The Democrat from Des Moines (Ako Abdul-Samad) who recently introduced the bill for the third time assures “it’s a win-win for Iowaâ€