Thread: MA-Harvard's Faust backs path to legal residency

Harvard's Faust backs path to legal residency

Illegal immigrant bill called 'lifeline'

By Maria Sacchetti
Boston Globe Staff
May 21, 2009

Harvard President, Drew Gilpin Faust, yesterday backed federal legislation that would clear the way for illegal immigrant students to apply for legal residency, an endorsement that stunned students and drew criticism for a president who has largely steered clear of fierce debates.

In a letter this week to federal lawmakers, Faust expressed "strong support" for legislation known as the Dream Act, which would allow students who have been in this country since they were 15 to apply for legal residency under certain conditions. She acknowledged that students with "immigration status issues" attend Harvard, and said the bill would be a "lifeline" to such students.

"I believe it is in our best interest to educate all students to their full potential - it vastly improves their lives and grows our communities and economy," she wrote in a letter to Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry and Representative Michael E. Capuano, thanking them for their support for the legislation. "This bill will help move us closer to this goal."

Faust, who declined to be interviewed, is not the first leader to endorse the Dream Act. But her action adds a powerful new voice to the debate over a bill that has languished in Congress since 2001.

The Dream Act often surfaces in the debate in individual states over whether illegal immigrant students should pay resident tuition at public colleges and universities.

But the latest version of the Dream Act focuses largely on allowing illegal immigrant students to apply for legal residency, which is an issue that affects public and private colleges such as Harvard because its graduates cannot legally work in this country. (The act would make it easier for states to charge resident tuition, but does not require it).

Private colleges do not rely on government funding and can decide to finance those students on their own.

Harvard students said they have been lobbying Faust for months on the issue. They held a rally and submitted a petition with 120 signatures, said Harvard junior Kyle de Beausset, one of the organizers.

In recent months, two Harvard students who are in the United States illegally met with Faust in her office to seek her support. Yesterday, one of those students, an 18-year-old former high school valedictorian who has been in the United States since he was 9, said he was thrilled.

"We realized that what we were asking her to do wasn't an easy thing. The issue of immigration is politically charged," said the student, who spoke on the condition that his name not be used. "I am and will forever be indebted to this institution."

But Bob Dane, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said Harvard should not admit illegal immigrants because they displace students here legally.

"Maybe the elites at Harvard should come down from their ivory tower and get some ground perspective on what kind of cost and competition that legal US residents are actually incurring these days," said Dane.

Maria Sacchetti can be reached at msacchetti@globe.com

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massac ... residency/

"I believe it is in our best interest to educate all students to their full potential - it vastly improves their lives and grows our communities and economy," she wrote in a letter to Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry and Representative Michael E. Capuano, thanking them for their support for the legislation. "This bill will help move us closer to this goal."

How about a "lifeline" to AMERICAN students? Especially the hardest hit-from middle class families?

It's in our best interest to educate LEGAL students. We should not be spending our resources on those here illegally, regardless whose fault it is. Why should AMERICAN students suffer for the acts of illegal aliens?

We - Americans are to give to anchor babies and undocumented students a free ride to college or in-state tuition at undocumented parents request?

But Bob Dane, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said Harvard should not admit illegal immigrants because they displace students here legally.

"Maybe the elites at Harvard should come down from their ivory tower and get some ground perspective on what kind of cost and competition that legal US residents are actually incurring these days," said Dane.

Why do we elected people from these COLLEGES?

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US citizens who pay out of state need to sue if undocumented parents and students are given in-state tuition.
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And then there is the grade point average in Senior Year of High School.
If a grade point average is greater for one students doesn't mean the higher grade point is college bound or even taking harder courses. US Citizens have been cheated out of College due to dumbies in an unfair system of grade point averages permitting non college bound students (undocumented immigrants) to have a better grade point average somehow.

All grade point averages are put together in a ranking order. Someone taking a college level courses compared to lower level 12th grade courses; will probably be under so much more pressure; and the grade points can end up being the same. But if the lower level 12th grade courses loaded person can get that little sweet advantage. It does knock that more prepared college bound American child/citizen out by not being in the top 5%, 10% or even 20% of the graduation class ranking. So the America Child/Citizen does not get into preferred college or scholarships for their hard work in High School VOIDED.

LUMPING ALL GRADE POINT AVERAGES TOGETHER IS NOT WISE! and I am about 99.9% sure the school system are lumping illegal immigrants grades, non-college bound, and the very bright student all together into one combined grade point average group for ranking of the class.

Who is most likely to lose above? and Who definitely has the most to gain?

It is a game with our heads to dumb us down. John Lennon wrote a song about "20 years of schooling" to dumb children down.

These children have only their ILLEGAL parents to blame. The ILLEGAL parents knew what they were doing and their ILLEGAL parents continue by the Abuse of the 14th Amendment to create more children as Anchors and more ILLEGALS for United States Citizens to furnish benefits! The Elitist Politicians and their Elitist Contributors are “socializing benefitsâ€

Just follow the MONEY. BIG EDUCATION, the Presidents of Colleges and Universities along with Education Union leaders, are the same as any other Elitist Political Contributors, Special Interest Groups and their Elitist Politicians. They are in it for the money and power and could care less for the men and women in the plants, on the factory floor, or the offices working to pay for their children's education. The purpose is to pull in tuition fees for themselves and attempt to guarantee votes for their Elitist Politicians.

Americans who identify with the interests of their country people should be as offended by the stupid insensitivity of Drew Gilpin Faust as President of Harvard as women who identify with women's interests were with the stupid insensitivity of former President Larry Summers.

The Dream Act doesn't effect Harvard. If their parents can afford to send them to Harvard, they can afford the international tuition rate at another university.

Harvard Tuition and Fees.

http://www.admissions.college.harvard.e ... /cost.html

Dixie

I know personally of an illegal student from our school going to Harvard on scholarship and it was displayed in the local newspaper.

A teacher came to my house upset about it a bit. And I give him heck. I said, well there goes the law for some, and another American Hardworking American Student has been cheated out of a scholarship.

I asked him didn't he think one of my daughters desired the Harvard Scholarship. He looked has if he had been knocked into reality.

But this year I ran into the Catholic public school system teacher at a meeting and he had an illegal student begging for help on staying in America after high school.

I could tell this teacher did not like me hearing this conversation. But my ears were there.