Friday, November 24, 2006

Voters action called positive

Immigration activists rejoice

By Richard Nangle TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
rnangle@telegram.com


People who work with the state’s immigrant population are breathing a sigh of relief these days, thankful that the hot-button issues of driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants and in-state tuition for their children did not resonate with Massachusetts voters.

Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey leaned hard on those two issues in her unsuccessful race for governor, saying she would take away driver’s licenses and deny in-state tuition. Advocates for easing undocumented immigrants into American society say that’s a positive commentary on the Massachusetts electorate. And now they want to set the record straight on the two issues.

“The media does not put out enough information on these subjects and what is out there is erroneous or subjective,” said Orlando Rodriguez, executive director of Centro Las Americas in Worcester. Mr. Rodriguez said the political charges and countercharges on immigration issues lacked substance and led to widespread ignorance. Many people came to believe, he said, that Gov.-elect Deval L. Patrick wanted to offer free tuition to undocumented immigrants.


Mr. Rodriguez chalks up Mr. Patrick’s victory to the electorate’s decision that these issues, however portrayed, were not the defining factors in the race.

Massachusetts issues driver’s licenses to immigrants who have visas. Ms. Healey wanted to time the expiration of those licenses to the visas. Mr. Patrick pointed out that the federal Real ID Act, which takes effect in May 2008, will settle the issue by prohibiting driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants.

As for in-state tuition, immigrants would see a significant cost benefit. At the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, for example, in-state tuition for a full academic year is $9,300 while the out-of-state rate is $18,000. The Massachusetts House earlier this year voted down an in-state tuition bill that would have applied only to students who had attended a Massachusetts high school for three years, graduated and signed an affidavit saying they would seek U.S. citizenship.

The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a business-supported watchdog group, said passage would have pumped $5.7 million in new revenues into the state’s economy by 2009. Ten states allow the children of undocumented immigrants to pay in-state college tuition rates. The study predicted 530 to 660 such students would take advantage of in-state rates with virtually no effect on the state higher education system.

U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester, said voters were more concerned about the quality of health care and jobs than Republican-driven anti-immigrant issues.

“The impression out there was that in-state meant free,” Mr. McGovern said. “There were a lot of people who thought it was about free scholarships. But in the scheme of things those issues are not big issues, and I think the voters spoke loud and clear about what they cared about and it wasn’t this.”

Ali Noorani, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, said most of the immigrants who would take advantage of in-state tuition are in the country legally. “They can work at Dunkin’ Donuts but not learn the skills to own a Dunkin’ Donuts,” he said.

“A unique part of what happened (Nov. 7), the massive turnout and interest in the immigrant community of voters, shows there is no longer an immigrant community, it’s an immigrant constituency,” Mr. Noorani said. “Americans said immigrants are here working hard, want to achieve the American dream like everybody else, and they weren’t willing to punish an immigrant for that. They were not going to decide who is the next governor based on the education dreams of 500 kids.”

Contact Richard Nangle by e-mail at rnangle@telegram.com.
http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a ... /611240653