OUR VIEW: Wimmer's malicious bill
Standard-Examiner
Last updated
Monday, December 27, 2010 - 11:02pm

Although we supported the unsuccessful DREAM Act immigration measure, which would have allowed some illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children a chance of citizenship if they went to school or entered the military, we understand the opposition behind it. Many Americans are tired of the federal government's procrastination on dealing with illegal immigration and the dysfunctions that come with it. They want a secure U.S. border before other immigration initiatives are tackled.

However, a promise by ultra-righty Utah Rep. Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman, to push a measure next year that would deny illegal immigrant students who live in Utah in-state tuition is just plain malicious. The vast majority of illegals who will seek higher education in Utah have already lived here as children. They did not have a say in where their home was chosen.

They are, for all intents and purposes, Utahns. Graduating from high school and wanting to go to college is an achievement by these kids. They should be encouraged to further their education.

There's no special privileges for these students. They pay the regular in-state semester tuition as others who live in Utah -- 12 units at the University of Utah costs $2,645, for example. If Wimmer shuts the door on this tuition rate for illegals, the cost will rise to $8,313. That will likely price many young Utahns of Hispanic descent out of a chance for higher education.

Wimmer says that Utah's in-state tuition rate for illegals should be ended because the DREAM Act failed in Congress. That's very cynical reasoning from the legislator. He's discussing apples and oranges. Illegal immigrant children already have a legal right to be educated through 12th grade. It's despicable to pass a law that will make it too expensive for a bright student with high grades to go to college simply because she was brought to Utah by her parents or guardians as a child.

Wimmer's confident his bill will pass. We're not so sure. The Legislature has rejected these efforts in the past, and we don't believe Gov. Gary Herbert would ever sign such a despicable bill.

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