N.C. community colleges ban illegal immigrants
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Community colleges in North Carolina are reconsidering whether to allow illegal immigrants to attend. The community college system made the decision last May to ban them because school officials believed that doing so would be a violation of federal law.
However, the Department of Homeland Security has since decided that it is not a violation of any law for illegal immigrants to be admitted to public educational institutions, as there is currently no such law in place. The decision is therefore left up to the individual states and institutions.
"I think that it should be up to the state to decide whether or not to admit [illegal immigrants] because making this decision means deciding if college is an American right or something that should be open to all people," said junior public policy and management major Lydia Remington.
The ban is currently still in place for the North Carolina community colleges, and is supported by both Democrat and Republican candidates for governor. Despite urging from university presidents within the University of North Carolina system, the ban will not be reversed until further research is conducted, if it is reversed at all. Officials say that this may take several months, as they will need to rewrite their policy if they decide to make a change.
There is some concern among education officials that this measure is unfair for many reasons. According to a July 28 article from the Associated Press, North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges President Scott Ralls believes that the policy should be revised because all children should have the opportunity to continue their educations, regardless of their parents’ decisions and how they came to be in this country.
“[I think] they should have documents [to attend college]. ... It’s sad that they can’t go to college because they don’t have enough money to get their documents,” said first-year computer science major Young Jae Park. Park is from South Korea, where she says there are also problems with illegal immigration.
If the North Carolina community colleges decide to overturn this ban, they will need to create a new policy specifically relating to illegal immigrants. One possible solution is that of the University of North Carolina system, which allows illegal immigrants with limitations. Students must have graduated from a United States high school, must pay out-of-state tuition, and are not able to receive government financial aid, according to the policy.
This is one possible solution of many, and the board does not intend to rush through its research. They want to find the best possible solution to this problem, particularly for the community colleges. Although some opponents of the ban say that the out-of-state tuition cost more than covers the cost of education for the illegal immigrant students, financial interests of the community colleges must also be considered.
In the end, community colleges — and all higher education institutions — want to make the decision they find most beneficial for everyone. The big question, then, is whether admitting illegal immigrants will be the best decision.
“Admitting [illegal immigrants] to these colleges means that after graduation, they will join the American workforce, where they are taking jobs away from Americans,” Remington said. “Yet [they] might be doing things where we need them.”
What are the numbers?
While NCCCS (NC Community College System) reports that only 112 illegal aliens are currently enrolled in the curriculum instruction component of the community college system, Civitas Institute analysis of U.S. Census data suggests the number is closer to 10,000. A very conservative estimate would place the cost to educate these students at $5 million to $7 million. Keep in mind that the reported number of 112 is so low because it is dependent on illegals aliens declaring they are such upon enrollment (self-reporting). Very few, as evidenced above actually tell the truth regarding their immigration status.
NCCCS is continuing to educate thousands of illegal aliens – more than 37,000, according to our estimates – via its continuing education programs.
Continuing education courses are generally offered free of charge to all students – at a cost to taxpayers of $154.4 million. Presuming that illegal aliens make up at least 6.5 percent of enrollment, the cost to taxpayers is more than $10 million.
Instruction costs do not include capital costs. Statewide general obligation bonds for the community college system are $850 million; local bonds for community colleges are millions more.
The rule of law is one prime determining factor that differentiates first world and third world countries. It mandates that illegal behavior be punished and never rewarded. Granting benefits, such as entry into our colleges to those in our country illegally offends this principle. Worse, it perverts the law by punishing those who have or are in the process of entering legally and discriminates against citizens who would be negatively affected. Even if I agreed (which I don't) that illegals should be allowed to attend our colleges, who would be willing to state unequivocally that not one single tax dollar would be used and not one single citizen or LEGAL immigrant would be ever denied admittance because of space availability?
How would you feel if your son or daughter's seat in college was taken by an illegal alien?
How would your son or daughter feel if their seat in college was taken by an illegal alien?
How do you feel knowing that NC will allow illegal aliens to attend college with taxpayer resources used even if they are required to pay out of state tuition because of the capital costs involved?
How do you feel giving access to our institutions of higher learning to illegal aliens for further education and training to a group of people who are not even able to work in America legally?
Illegal aliens and their advocates like to state that the college age illegals (young adults) should not be punished because it was their parents who broke the law. But, allowing these illegal alien young adults to attend college and remain in the U.S. rewards them for their parents breaking the law. Another claim you often hear is that prohibiting illegal aliens from attending community college is “inhumane”. This argument presumes that obtaining a taxpayer-subsidized college degree is a basic human right. Basic human rights, however, are universal and unchanging and the need or desire for a college degree is neither. This is not to say that obtaining a college education is not important. But is it more important than the rule of law, which illegal immigration undermines, not to mention the will of the people?
The statements you hear from advocates for illegal aliens in favor of them having access to our colleges generally flow around their 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?
Civitas Institute Decision Maker Poll Results of NC voters:
- 69% of N.C. voters oppose providing education benefits to illegal immigrants (August 2005).
- 68% of N.C. voters oppose allowing illegal immigrants to enroll in community colleges (February 2008).
Its far beyond time that the NC General Assembly abides by the will of the NC people in this matter. Attendance at any institution of higher education in NC should be reserved for citizens and LEGAL immigrants.
South Carolina and Virginia have already taken action and passed legislation denying illegal aliens attendance in colleges in their state. NC needs to follow suit.
The fact is that things like college admittance and in-state tuition are just stepping stones to more things in the future. Just as giving a "free" primary and secondary education to all illegal alien kids was a stepping stone to them now demanding college admittance and in-state tuition, even at the detriment of Americans and legal residents who will lose their seat in the class in order to placate breakers of our laws.
The reality is that illegal aliens should receive no benefits, including admittance to college. Zip. Zero. Nothing. Nada.
It is 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 (Immigration Reform and Control Act)
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 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?
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