Republicans Gear Up to Strip Immigrant Children's Access to Education

Edward Deragon
Springfield Immigration Reform Examiner
January 14, 2012

Absent comprehensive federal immigration reform in 2012, advocates for immigrants are bracing for another wave of state legislative proposals in 2012 intended to restrict children's access to education systems and public assistance programs.

Last year, legislation was introduced in more than a dozen states intended to ban immigrant children's access to public colleges and universities as well as impose stricter verification requirements to attend public schools and qualify for public assistance programs such as food stamps.

"We do expect to see more like bills in the future," said Wendy Cervantes, vice president of immigration and child rights policy for the national child advocacy organization First Focus.

Cervantes, addressing a national conference in Salt Lake City hosted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Migration and Refugee Services and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc., said people of faith need to stand up against measures that curb access to education or public assistance programs. Immigrants comprise about 30 percent of the nation's low-income children, thus they are a particularly vulnerable population.

Children of immigrants account for nearly one-fourth all children in the United States and the vast majority are U.S. citizens.

While some states have leveled restrictions on immigrant children attending college — eliminating the option of paying in-state tuition rates or even banning students from enrolling in public colleges and universities — some states have contemplated measures to preclude undocumented children from attending public schools, Cervantes said.

These proposals conflict with a 1982 Supreme Court decision that struck down a Texas state statute that denied funding for education to illegal immigrant children. The court also struck down a municipal school district's attempt to charge tuition to undocumented children to make up for lost state funding.

Equally troubling, Cervantes said, are state legislative proposals intended to curb children's access to public assistance programs such as food stamps or health care programs.

"Many of these kids are in need of safety net programs but are underrepresented in these programs," Cervantes said.

While most immigrant children are American citizens by birthright, many live in mixed-status households. While the children may qualify for food stamps or other assistance, some families hesitate to apply for benefits because they fear undocumented family members will be turned over to federal immigration authorities.

To complicate matters, most states administer these programs differently. "The rules are very confusing and vary from state to state," Cervantes said. "It makes these very, very critical programs inaccessible to families that need them."

Many punitive legislative measures introduced in state legislatures were defeated due to intensive lobbying on the part of religious and child advocates, Cervantes said. In 2011, a few states considered measures to improve access to educational and public assistance programs.

Immigrant children seeking college educations were especially effective in defeating measures to repeal the in-state tuition rates some states extend to immigrant children who attend public colleges.

"These campaigns really made all the difference," she said.

In 2002, the Legislature passed a bill allowing undocumented students who complete three years of high school in Utah and graduate to be eligible for in-state college tuition. The law has survived numerous attempts to repeal it, said Dave Buhler, associate commissioner of public affairs for the Utah System of Higher Education.

For the 2010-11 school year, 716 noncitizen students are enrolled in Utah colleges and universities, among a total headcount of 152,337 students — or 0.47 percent of the entire student body.

Republicans Gear Up to Strip Immigrant Children's Access to Education - Springfield Immigration Reform | Examiner.com

Elected officials are being swayed by illegal foreign natonals to be allowed access public benefits and the benefits reserved for citizens and legal immigrants.

When I was a teacher, I had a student in my 1st grade class who was the child of illegal aliens. I only knew that because I was specifically told this by my superiors....they told me his parents were "undocumented" and neither spoke English. The child did not speak English either. You would not believe the services this kid received at the taxpayer's expense. Our school had to hire an ESOL teacher just for HIM. He received ESOL lessons five days a week. He also had a speech pathologist work with him 4 days a week. Because his family was "low income", he & his family were also provided with 3 weekly visits from our school social worker, and our school psychologist met with the family once per week. When all of these "special" meetings and services occurred, a translator was also provided to communicate with the family. The kid also received the "full" free-lunch program at our school, which provided him with lunch AND breakfast each day. This was 15 years ago. I can only imagine the type of handouts that occur these days. I have NO idea why back then, kids entering my school had to provide birth certificates, social security numbers, etc., but this kid got to walk in "document free" yet he received the MOST services of any kid I ever taught over my 10 years as a teacher.

We need to end taxpayer services to illegal aliens, and that includes public school education. It's just one more incentive for illegals to keep flocking into our country.

"Last year, legislation was introduced in more than a dozen states intended to ban immigrant children's access to public colleges and universities as well as impose stricter verification requirements to attend public schools and qualify for public assistance programs such as food stamps."

Did you notice that when something is done to stop Illegal aliens from benifitting from being here illegally they allways say it affects immigrants? Illegal aliens are not immigrants they are lawbreakers.

"While most immigrant children are American citizens by birthright, many live in mixed-status households. While the children may qualify for food stamps or other assistance, some families hesitate to apply for benefits because they fear undocumented family members will be turned over to federal immigration authorities."

GIMME A BREAK! Whoever wrote this should come on over the Cali. Believe me, these people are NOT afraid! I bet most of America would have a hard time believing this crap. The freebies are the major thing that attracts them to here!

ROCK ON! You racist, bad old Repubs.:o