House OKs blocking illegal immigrants from Virginia colleges

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By Aaron Applegate
The Virginian-Pilot
© February 1, 2008

RICHMOND

A bill to bar illegal immigrants from attending state colleges and universities passed the House of Delegates on Friday.

The proposal, however, is unlikely to become law because the Senate, which also must approve the bill, has indicated it won't support it. A Senate committee killed a similar bill Thursday.

The House version, HB14, passed 68-28.

Delegates supporting the measure said it's needed to prevent undocumented people from taking slots that should go to students from Virginia.

"They say this is being mean-spirited, but for me it's mean-spirited to take spots from a legal Virginia resident," said Del. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, House majority leader.

Opponents said that few illegal immigrants are in state schools and that Friday's vote was more about politics than policy.

"What we had today was for the campaign to put people on the board saying you want illegal aliens to go school in Virginia," said Del. Mark Sickles, D-Alexandria, who voted against the bill.

He said children who excel in Virginia high schools, which are open to undocumented immigrants, should have a chance to go to college.

An estimated 500 to 1,000 students out of the 370,000 students enrolled in Virginia's public colleges and universities are illegal immigrants, according to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

Immigrant advocacy groups have spoken against the proposal, saying that it's unfair to block people who may be working to get U.S. citizenship from access to higher education.

Staff writer Warren Fiske contributed to this report.

Aaron Applegate, (757) 222-5122, aaron.applegate@pilotonline.com

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What will it take?

Submitted by gunnergil on Sun, 02/03/2008 at 12:10 pm.

When elections come it is issues such as this one that must be remembered. Any politician who blocks efforts to keep illegal aliens from gaining state funded anything needs to be held to account and voted out of office. That is the surest way to get their attention and that's what it'll take. I don't care how well an illegal alien student does in high school. One llegal in state funded higher education is too many! How can we preach and teach the "rule of law" and then allow illegal aliens to skate through?

lEducation for Illegals

Submitted by politico2 on Sun, 02/03/2008 at 11:10 am.

Illegal Aliens, ready for college, have already freeloaded off of the American taxpayers to the tune of $100,000 or so US dollars for their K-12 education. Most Latin American countries offer a free or nearly free college education (for their own nationals only, of course!). When I taught at the National University of Mexico tuition was $10 US per semester. I say, give them a check for $80 to cover their four years of college in Mexico and put them on the bus back. Let their own governments foot the bill for once! Each spot given to the offspring of Illegals is a spot taken from the child of an American taxpayer. Whose country is this, anyway?

Illegal alien advocacy groups

Submitted by Deipnosophist on Sat, 02/02/2008 at 8:11 pm.

"Immigrant advocacy groups have spoken against the proposal, saying that it's unfair to block people who may be working to get U.S. citizenship from access to higher education."

You mean: illegal alien advocacy groups hoping for an amnesty say we should allow them in our schools. Under current law you can't be working to get US citizenship if you're here illegally! And if you're here illegally you're not an "immigrant" you are guilty of a crime, deportable and barred from returning here. If you're here legally you have access to higher education.

How about some accurate reporting?

Oh please....

Submitted by C.B. on Sat, 02/02/2008 at 6:58 pm.

I just seriously fail to understand why anyone, especially politicians, would want to defy legislation to deny illegal aliens anything that is taxpayer funded. Public schools and universities are publically funded institutions through TAXES. It just goes right over my head why "anyone" would not want to do everything possible to ensure that these criminals do not access anything taxpayer funded. Hmmm....let's see, keep religion out of public institutions but allow non taxpaying, ID theft criminals to soak the taxpayers for all they are worth. This is just plain insane!!!! Please help me in what I am missing about the word ILLEGAL???? To the prior poster with the foriegn adoptee, the illegals get their ID's ILLEGALLY but you should have been more prudent in taking care of business yourself.

scuse me?

Submitted by douglasg on Sat, 02/02/2008 at 3:14 pm.

I think the paper should put in PRINT, for everyone to see, who voted how on this biil, in the House AND the Senate. That Virginians know who to re-elect, and who to drop like a bad habit.

College => College Aid => $600/$1200 Tax rebates: Byebye tax $$

Submitted by olafs50892 on Sat, 02/02/2008 at 12:43 pm.

Does anyone believe this?
House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) today issued the following statement after a number of press reports erroneously suggested the economic growth bill passed by the House this week contains language that would somehow enable illegal immigrants to receive a tax rebate:
“The legislation that we authored, and which passed the House Tuesday with overwhelming bipartisan support, would not allow any taxpayer funds to be distributed to illegal immigrants. In fact, the bill includes language similar to the provisions included in the 2001 and 2003 tax relief bills to prevent illegal immigrants from receiving any benefits. We will take legislative action to clarify and underscore this prohibition so we can expedite the rebates to millions of eligible Americans.”

If illegals file tax returns using false Social Security numbers or Taxpayer IDs how does the IRS or INS know?
If they claim they know (which I doubt), they can produce a list of the addresses of illegals. At the same time, our legislators say: "We don't know where the illegals ae or how to find them". I think our esteemed politicians are talking out of t

Illegal aliens as students.

Submitted by ohwellii on Sat, 02/02/2008 at 11:11 am.

Mark Sickles apposes the plan to ban those folks from our schools, but he does not suggest he will pay the costs of those students going to our schools.

We seem to have a problem with legislators who support illegal aliens instead of American Citizens. It needs to stop too.

Vote the Senate out!

Submitted by caseyt99125 on Sat, 02/02/2008 at 9:58 am.

Get out and vote as a legal citizen while you still can. If we keep letting illegals get drivers licenses, attend schools, recieve health benefits, etc. etc., it will only be a matter of time before politicians decide to let the vote. We need to turn off the rides and close the park.

I propose

Submitted by Ira Tateu on Sat, 02/02/2008 at 9:48 am.

I propose that each member of the house and senate be required to have a dictionary at their desk or table. Simply defining illegal could have saved us from this vote. We have to outlaw illegal intruders multiple times before they cease to use goverment funds and institutions but we let kids drive and type at the same time? Anyone feeling safe? Better barricade your door, I just called you in for having Sangria in your house.