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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Texas Governor Rick Perry made a stop on his fundraising trail in Charlotte on Thursday, but it wasn't his supporters who made the most noise. Protestors took to the streets outside San Antonio’s Mexican Grill at SouthPark.

It was anything but a southern hospitality welcome.

"Rick Perry is the only candidate that signed in state tuition for illegal immigrants into law, " said William Gheen, President of Americans for Legal Immigration, or ALIPAC.

“The reason that states have to deal with this is because of the failure of federal government," countered Gov. Perry.

Texas signed a version of the Dream Act into law, allowing many undocumented students who grew up and received a high school education in the United States to receive in-state tuition for college, and Perry stood by his support for the issue.

"The federal government demands we give them healthcare, we educate them. So in Texas we've decided we want them to be part of the work force and not part of the problem," said Gov. Perry.

But Gheen says it doesn't matter how long the kids have been in the U.S. They shouldn't have the same rights as American students when it comes to education.

Lacey Williams of the Latin American Coalition of Charlotte says it's nice to see a human approach from a politician when talking about thousands of students who desire an education.

"He realizes that we need a rational law, in-state tuition equity to deal with an emerging problem. He realizes it's un-American to punish young people for mistakes they did not make," said Williams.

Perry says the real mistake of not securing the borders comes from the very top, and that's where he would make changes