GLTHS committee member intent on barring illegal immigrants from attending school
By DENNIS SHAUGHNESSEY , Sun Staff



TYNGSBORO -- The Greater Lowell Technical High School Committee member intent on admitting only U.S. citizens or legal aliens continues to push his initiative, even though state educational officials say they will block it.

“We have directed our attorney, Arthur Sullivan, to report back to us in September, advising us of our options,� said Michael Hayden, of Lowell. “But the policy wasn't going to go into effect until 2006, so even though the new school year is just around the corner it wouldn't affect us
for this year. But I'm not going to let this issue go. Somebody has to do something and I'm getting tremendous support from people.�

A motion approved in May, requiring students to produce a birth certificate before admission, drew heat from the DOE who characterized the policy as “inconsistent� with a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. In that ruling, the court said undocumented alien children have a constitutional right to the same benefits of a free public education as children who are legally residing in the state.

Hayden, however, argued that the school is on firm legal footing because Greater Lowell Technical High School is a selective secondary school and each district has its own sending school.

The motion, which passed on a 5-1-1 vote, also drew the ire of committee member George O'Hare of Lowell.

“My position is that if you have illegal immigrants in the school, and so far that has not been the case, but if you do, let the state or federal governing bodies address that situation,� O'Hare said.

After receiving the DOE opinion in June, committee members vowed to fight the case in court, if necessary.

“That's another thing,� said O'Hare. “We have other issues to deal with and we shouldn't be spending money in court fighting some far-fetched notion. There isn't one undocumented immigrant who is taking the place of any students who are on the waiting list.�

But fellow committee member Dennis “D.J.� Deeb is on the other side of the debate.

“Bottom line, and it's simple, if you're not a citizen of the United States, you're not entitled to anything,� he said. “If you allow undocumented immigrants to attend the schools, you're sending the message that it's OK to continue the practice.�

As for paying legal for a court fight, Deeb said that there are plenty of activist groups that presumably would be willing to help fund a challenge.

Victoria Fahlberg, project director ONE Lowell, an immigrant-activist organization, said she is concerned about the impact the exclusion could have on area children.

“Children should never be the ones that suffer for what their parents have done,� Fahlberg said. “It's not the American way. It seems that this policy they are trying to promote is nothing more than vigilantism.�


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