Thread: SC: Colleges telling illegal students not to return

Posted on Sun, Jul. 20, 2008
S.C. IMMIGRATION LAW
Colleges telling illegal students not to return
By Robert Morris - rmorris@thesunnews.com

As they arrived home last week from their study groups and second jobs, a handful of college students across the Grand Strand found letters saying that, because they are in the U.S. illegally, this semester will be their last.

The letters are the result of a new immigration package signed into law last month after a yearlong public debate led in part by state Rep. Thad Viers of Myrtle Beach. Now, Viers says that law may go too far and pledged late last week to work on correcting it or changing its application.

"These kids are the posters for what we want from immigration," Viers said. "We're punishing them for the sins of their fathers and mothers, and that's not right."

Among its many law-enforcement and employment-related provisions, this year's immigration law contained a clause forbidding any state college from accepting illegal immigrants as students and requiring schools to begin screening applicants for citizenship.

Coastal Carolina University already had a policy against admitting illegal immigrants, so none of its students will be asked to leave, said Edgar Dyer, vice president for university relations.

Horry-Georgetown Technical College, however, practiced what is known as "open admission," and officials say a dozen or so students are being asked to leave.

The technical college's application already asks students if they are U.S. citizens, part of the criteria for financial aid, said Greg Thompson, vice president of student affairs. Those students who indicated foreign citizenship are now being sent letters, Thompson said.

"Under the new immigration state law, you are not eligible to attend classes unless you can submit a copy of your permanent resident card," the letters read.

For those students - brought to the U.S. as children by their parents, then learning English from scratch in order to finish high school - the letter was a blow, one more hardship in a world such overachievers would otherwise be on top of.

"I just couldn't believe it, that they're actually going to do something like this," said 23-year-old Gian Carlo Murrieca, brought by his parents from Peru when he was 17, now studying to be a teacher. "It puts a stop sign on everything I was planning on doing in the future."

Dayana Rodrigues' mother brought her to the U.S. from Brazil at age 14 and, at Myrtle Beach High School, she quickly learned English and Spanish in addition to her native Portuguese. She graduated in the top 5 percent of her class and went on to HGTC's nursing program.

In between study sessions for anatomy or probability, Rodrigues cleans houses to pay her out-of-state tuition, $1,800 for her two classes this semester, a figure mandated by the state to cover completely the cost of educating any student not from South Carolina.

To finish her education, Rodrigues may drive the 100-mile round trip to Brunswick Community College in Bolivia, N.C., because North Carolina schools still practice open admission, or she may return to Brazil.

"I don't mind going back if they make me," Rodrigues said with a note of resignation. "But I think it's sad that they prefer uneducated illegal immigrants to educated illegal immigrants."

As the immigration debate roiled and Viers was selected to serve on the conference committee responsible for the bill's final version, Myrtle Beach High School teacher Peggy Ryals invited him to her English as a Second Language class, where he met some of the students who are now being asked not to return to college.

They were star students, Viers said later, excelling academically in English with dreams of contributing to society.

"I would much rather the illegals who are here to improve their educations and work to assimilate into American culture than us to shut the door in the face when they're trying," Viers said. "I'm one of the strongest supporters of illegal-immigration reform, but we have to have a balance."

The bill he helped design was intended to keep immigrants who enter the country illegally from receiving tuition breaks or other benefits, Viers said - not to bar from college their children who graduate from local high schools and pay out-of-state tuition.

Viers said he now plans to ask the state attorney general's office to review the bill and ask for an interpretation closer to its original intention, and if that fails, to seek an exception that would allow state high school graduates who have lived most of their lives in the U.S. to attend college.

"It may not be the most popular thing, but it's the right thing," Viers said. "They are just as much Americans as you or I."

Ryals, who takes her foreign students to area colleges every year, urging them to overcome their language difficulties, finish high school and seek higher education, said she was encouraged by Viers' words.

"When we deny people an education, we're creating another generation of people who barely survive, instead of contribute to society," Ryals said. "It used to be that we were proud of people seeking that American dream."
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/l ... 26589.html

Again. these students and their families should not be rewarded any further for violating our immigration laws. These adults (18 years of age) are not children...they have the choice to either go to school in their home countries and take advantage of any scholarship/finanical aid opportunity there OR go home and apply for a student visa to continue to study here like hundreds of thousands of foreign national students do every year. Study at home or come back with a student visa. End of story.

It is asinine, moronic and a violation of law that illegal aliens are allowed into colleges at all. I would argue that it is in violation of the 'aiding and abetting' statute in the 1986 IRCA.

Even if illegal aliens were to pay out of state tuition, it would not cover the entire cost of their education because of capital costs, often conveniently left out (or purposely lessened) in the total costs calculations. Therefore, taxpayer subsidization of illegal aliens would occur.

Also, why would any legislator allow an illegal alien to take a seat in college from a deserving American citizen or legal immigrant? Seats in colleges are a limited and highly coveted resource, why the hell would you put an illegal alien into one?

Also, why should we be in the business of educating and training a group of people who are illegally here and cannot legally be employed?

Added to Home PAge

http://www.alipac.us/article3370.html

Educated Illegal Immigrants are still illegal immigrants and not entitled to work in the US.

"I would much rather the illegals who are here to improve their educations and work to assimilate into American culture than us to shut the door in the face when they're trying," Viers said. "I'm one of the strongest supporters of illegal-immigration reform, but we have to have a balance."

This is typical of the faulty reasoning that the OBL-minded use to justify allowing IAs to finish higher education here. They say, that said IAs will be more productive to society, assimilate better, etc. The problem is, in the end it only reinforces the fact that allowing people to get what they want - by any means necessary (legal or otherwise) undercuts the social and civil fabric of society and allows a cohort of people to remain here but being distinctly different from the Americans that came before them or must live alongside now.

They would like to frame the question as: "Well, do you want educated IAs here or uneducated ones?" but, in reality, the question is: "Do you want IAs here or not?"

"I don't mind going back if they make me," Rodrigues said with a note of resignation. "But I think it's sad that they prefer uneducated illegal immigrants to educated illegal immigrants."

Well this is quite telling! Actually, we prefer there were NO illegals. In addition, illegals are not allowed to work in this country! Why on earth would we allow them to earn a college degree? So they can obtain fradulent work documents and steal jobs from the American citizen who is a college graduate?

It's absurd

"These kids are the posters for what we want from immigration," Viers said. "We're punishing them for the sins of their fathers and mothers, and that's not right."

I can't say that these kids are "posters" of what we want from immigration because they are still illegal. I hope the parents are now feeling some of the price they need to pay for their illegal actions. They are responsible for this. They should take their kids home and use some of that money they've been wiring back there to put their kids through school in their home countries.

The letters are the result of a new immigration package signed into law last month after a yearlong public debate led in part by state Rep. Thad Viers of Myrtle Beach. Now, Viers says that law may go too far and pledged late last week to work on correcting it or changing its application.

Sounds like the open-border shills twisted Viers' arm (and logic).

See what Viers' previously said here about illegal immigration:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHvVqXG9Cnw

Here's his contact info if you want to send him an e-mail:

http://www.scstatehouse.net/members/bio ... 36139.html

These kids are the posters for what we want from immigration," Viers said. "We're punishing them for the sins of their fathers and mothers, and that's not right."




I believe that these young adults are, actually, the "posters" of what can be done legally.

They are no longer children under their parents' control. They are adults who can now return to their home countries and apply to enter the United States legally in order to attend school.

These students have the golden opportunity to set an example, be an example, be the role model for others to engage in LEGAL behavior.

Why aren't they doing it?

Originally Posted by Populist

The letters are the result of a new immigration package signed into law last month after a yearlong public debate led in part by state Rep. Thad Viers of Myrtle Beach. Now, Viers says that law may go too far and pledged late last week to work on correcting it or changing its application.

Sounds like the open-border shills twisted Viers' arm (and logic).

See what Viers' previously said here about illegal immigration:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHvVqXG9Cnw

Here's his contact info if you want to send him an e-mail:

http://www.scstatehouse.net/members/bio ... 36139.html

Thanks for posting his contact information, Populist. Below is the e-mail I sent to him (I borrowed a few thoughts from Phred's posting...thanks, Phred!):

Dear. Rep. Viers:

The statements I hear from you advocating for illegal aliens in our colleges are alarming. They seem to flow around the claim that better educated illegals will be more productive and will assimilate better into our society. This is not only fuzzy thinking, it is faulty logic. It’s very precept is that the illegal gets additional benefits to what they have already enjoyed by illegally remaining and operating here and gives a segment of them what they want – unfettered access to our higher education system (in addition to our primary education system that they have already utilized). This, of course, will be costly to the American taxpayer whether the illegal pays out of state tuition or not. It also deprives a deserving citizen or legal immigrant of the seat that the illegal would occupy. Another marketing campaign is that a child should not be penalized because of the ‘sins’ of their parents. Allowing access to higher education, however, allows the child to benefit from the fact their parents broke the law. Where does the rule of law fit into all of this? Actually, no where. The very act of allowing placement of an illegal alien into our colleges tears at the social fabric of our culture by favoritism to a group people who are out of compliance with our laws. These very same people would then be free to operate lawlessly living and working alongside of citizens and legal immigrants who have been required to abide by our laws. The dichotomy here is not only egregious, it is outrageous. It is anarchy.

Seats in colleges are a limited and highly coveted resource so why should we put an illegal alien into one?

Why should we be in the business of further educating and training a group of people who are illegally here and cannot legally be employed?

Stick to your guns and do what is right for the American citizen and legal immigrant. Deny any admittance into college for illegal aliens.

Sincerely,