Poll: Most support community colleges' ban on illegal immigrants
Triangle Business Journal

Wednesday, May 21, 2008 - 9:47 AM EDT

Illegal immigrants have no place in the state's community colleges, Triangle Business Journal readers overwhelmingly said in our most recent online poll.

From May 14 to May 20, visitors to TBJ's Web site were asked, "Was the N.C. Community College System right to bar illegal immigrants from degree programs?" The poll was a response to that decision, made May 13 by the school system.

Of the 995 people who responded to the unscientific poll, 74 percent said it was the right decision. The other 26 percent said no.

What follows is a list of comments on the poll, all of which were made anonymously:

What part of illegal don't you understand?

Just because "federal law" will not enforce its own immigration laws does not mean that the state can't choose to enforce. I mean no ill to the actual people that are illegal immigrants, but we have law and order for a reason, and to allow someone who has illegally entered the U.S. to receive education that is subsidized by taxpayer dollars isn't really the best idea.

Let's focus on giving our own citizens the best education possible and motivate the illegal immigrants to become legal so they can do the same.

If a person is in the country illegally to begin with, why should we admit them into our community colleges to train them for jobs they shouldn't be eligible for anyway? Let's train U.S. citizens and legal immigrants for these jobs.

Let's be accurate with our labeling: "undocumented immigrants" are illegal aliens. Now, if the illegal aliens are paying for their schooling with 100% of their own money, then I don't have a problem with them getting a degree. But if they have to rely on grants, scholarships, or public assistance for tuition, books, fees, etc. funded by our tax dollars, then I say "No school. Get documented first, then get a Social Security number, start paying taxes and then go to school at the taxpayers' expense."

So taxpayers pay for illegal students in the public school system from K through 12 but then when they WANT TO PAY out-of-state tuition fees to continue their education? We say no.

If it's OK to exploit them as cheap labor, then giving them a chance to improve their skills and abilities makes sound economic sense.

This seems like taking a sugar pill to fix a broken leg. We need a comprehensive plan for immigration that ensures border security while encouraging hard-working and entrepreneurial immigrants to come here and help us keep building America.

I understand the desire not to admit students from a public policy standpoint, and also the xenophobic standpoint. But from a business standpoint, letting in bright kids who are here through no fault of their own and can help the North Carolina economy is a smart move.
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