Thread: NC Gov: colleges misread letter leading to new immig. policy

Easley: colleges misread letter leading to new immigrant policy
The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Gov. Mike Easley says state community college officials misread a letter that led them to require all campuses to admit illegal immigrants. But the Democrat won't say whether he supports that policy.
Earlier this month, a system attorney told all 58 community colleges they must enroll undocumented individuals. The lawyer in part cited a 1997 letter written by Easley's office when he was attorney general.

Easley told The Charlotte Observer on Wednesday the letter had nothing to do with illegal immigrants. The letter said a campus couldn't prevent someone with a past criminal record from being admitted.

Before the memo was sent, the campuses had discretion on whether to enroll illegal immigrants. Nearly two-thirds did so.
http://www.newsobserver.com/1565/story/800845.html

Information from: The Charlotte Observer, http://www.charlotte.com

N.C. COMMUNITY COLLEGE ADMISSIONS
Easley: 1997 college letter misconstrued
Governor says advisory had nothing to do with illegal immigration
MARK JOHNSON AND TONY MECIA
Staff Writers

Gov. Mike Easley said Wednesday that the state's community college administrators misinterpreted a letter his office wrote 10 years ago, when he was attorney general, that was used this month to justify mandating admission for illegal immigrants.

Easley, a Democrat, tried to distance himself from the rising controversy over the community college system's order that all 58 campuses must admit undocumented applicants who meet admissions requirements.

He refused to say whether or not he supported the new policy.

The 1997 advisory letter had nothing to do with illegal immigration, Easley told the Observer after speaking at the Charlotte Chamber. The letter, written by one of Easley's deputies at the attorney general's office, was responding to the question of whether a community college could prohibit admission to a convicted criminal who was under court order to attend school.

"It's totally different than the facts of the letter they relied upon," Easley said.

The opinion delivered in the letter does not stick to the narrow facts of the case. The letter says more broadly that community colleges could not impose any non-academic criteria for admission.

Colleges cannot exclude students based on a criminal record "insofar as past criminal convictions or disruptive behavior is not an academic qualification," the opinion said.

The community college system's top lawyer, David Sullivan, relied on the letter and the system's open-door admissions policy in dispatching a memo this month. The missive told community colleges that state regulations require the schools to admit illegal immigrants who meet the schools' basic requirements -- a practice already in place at many of the campuses.

While Easley said the community college officials misread the 1997 letter, he refused to stake out a position on the admissions mandate.

Asked if the state government should do anything to change the practice, he suggested that the state's current attorney general, Roy Cooper, be asked for an opinion. Cooper's office on Wednesday refused to offer an opinion, saying community colleges had not asked for one.

Community college officials have emphasized that illegal immigrants pay out-of-state tuition, a price that is higher than the actual cost of educating them. Hispanic community advocates argue that denying illegal immigrants an education prevents them from becoming productive members of the community who can gain their citizenship.

On Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick, a Charlotte Republican, and Republican leaders in the General Assembly denounced the admissions mandate.

"This is a stupid policy," Myrick said in a prepared statement. "Our community colleges are supposed to educate and train American citizens to enter the work force. But North Carolina wants to educate and train illegal aliens so they can directly compete against American citizens for the same jobs?"
http://www.charlotte.com/mobile/story/382902.html

Community college officials have emphasized that illegal immigrants pay out-of-state tuition, a price that is higher than the actual cost of educating them.

Don't believe this for a second. Pure speculative propaganda. Demand empiracle unbiased data to support this statement. They haven't provided any, nor can they!

Hispanic community advocates argue that denying illegal immigrants an education prevents them from becoming productive members of the community who can gain their citizenship.

Would we expect anything else to be expoused from illegal alien socio-ethnocentric advocacy groups? Of course not, that is why their position is indefensible.

Easley will not answer the direct question on everyone's mind because he SUPPORTS THIS POLICY and is trying to hide from the public wrath while deflecting attention to the Attorney General, Roy Cooper's office.

W

Contact information to Attorney General, Roy Cooper. E-mail form is at the bottom of the page:
http://www.ncdoj.com/default_contactus_ ... id=general

E-mail sent to Attorney General:

Dear Attorney General Roy Cooper:

I am appalled by the decision to require North Carolina Community Colleges to admit illegal aliens. This flies in the face of logic and is opposed by the vast majority of state residents and citizens nationwide. Citizens are fed up with the pandering and coddling of illegal aliens by legislatures, politicians, business, the MSM (Charlotte Observer and Raleigh News&Observer), and individuals who think it is just fine to ignore our county's immigration laws.

Illegal aliens are illegally in our country. It is as simple as that. Illegal means it is prohibited by law. Being illegally in our country means you have broken our immigration law and by remaining and operating in our country you have also broken a host of other laws.

Could you please tell me why it is OK to ignore that fact that illegal aliens have broken our laws yet are allowed to remain and operate in our state with impunity and even receive encouragement and benefits in doing so? Let me start by stating that any alien who is present in the United States in violation of Title 8 Section 1325 of the U.S. Code, "Improper Entry by Alien Act" or any other law of the United States is deportable. So instead of enforcing our immigration laws, North Carolina is going to ensure illegal aliens entry into community colleges? Beside the fact that it is against US law to aid and abet illegal aliens, can the North Carolina Community College System ensure that not one citizen student or legal resident will be displaced from attending community college or be closed out of a class because of the presence of illegal aliens? Since the community college system does receive taxpayer dollars for its operation, how do they justify allowing illegal aliens to attend and, in fact, encourage their attendance?

Since when is North Carolina in the practice of further educating illegal aliens to compete (illegally) with citizens and legal residents for jobs? I challenge you to find a handful of citizens who are pleased with the fact that we are required by past miscreants on the U.S. Supreme Court to educate, with taxpayer dollars through grade 12, the children of illegal aliens in our public schools. Fortunately, the Supreme Court didn’t mandate state-supported higher education for illegal aliens! Is that what the State of North Carolina wants? If so come out and say it, then be prepared for the public backlash.

I want you to explicitly declare to the state community college system to stop this illegal practice and I want all perpetrators involved with this decision making arrested and charged with violations of the Federal Immigration and Nationality Act which provides for criminal convictions against those who have aided and abetted illegal aliens.

The community college system's top lawyer, David Sullivan, relied on the letter and the system's open-door admissions policy in dispatching a memo this month.

Contact Information:
David Sullivan
Title: Assistant to President Legal Affairs
Mail Address:5001 Mail Service Center
Office Location: 171C
Phone: 807-6961
sullivand@nccommunitycolleges.edu

Website for North Carolina Community College System contacts:
http://www.ncccs.cc.nc.us/Personnel/alp ... ectory.htm

When I called Easley's office a few minutes ago; they tried to tell me Easley had nothing to do with this. They told me to call a guy named Martin at 919-807-6950.

So be prepared when you call that they are trying to blame someone elsse.

Originally Posted by Dianne

When I called Easley's office a few minutes ago; they tried to tell me Easley had nothing to do with this. They told me to call a guy named Martin at 919-807-6950.

So be prepared when you call that they are trying to blame someone elsse.

I will tell the Governor to show some "leadership" on this outrage.