Posted on 06/20/2002 2:47:56 PM PDT by madfly
Associated Press
EL PASO, Texas (AP) - A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday would allow thousands of part-time foreign students to continue commuting into the United States for school.
U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz., announced the bill that would create a new kind of visa for such students.
In the recent past, part-time foreign students have entered the United States using tourist visas. But those visas are for business and pleasure trips and are not supposed to be used by students.
The INS announced earlier this year that it will begin to again enforce the long-standing visa requirements on July 1 as part of an effort to secure the nation's borders.
The INS will back up enforcement with stricter reporting requirements for schools and a new computer database to keep track of foreign students.
"Every day, many Mexican and Canadian citizens cross back and forth to shop, do business and visit relatives but if they want to take an academic or vocational class and are not full-time students, they are not allowed over the border," Kolbe said. "My bill will correct this flaw in our immigration policy."
The "F-3" visa would not include a requirement that foreign students take full course loads, which is part of the traditional "F-1" student visa. The bill also would create a new "M-3" visa for part-time vocational, trade and other nonacademic students.
Danielle Sheahan, an INS spokeswoman in Washington, said she couldn't comment on the specifics of the bill, but added: "We're happy about it. A lot of students are stuck because they live by the border."
Kolbe estimated it could affect thousands of students at border schools.
In El Paso, at least 800 part-time students at the University of Texas at El Paso and the El Paso Community College would be affected.
Eduardo Antonio Dominguez, who lives across the river in Juarez, Mexico, is a part-time student working toward a master's degree in manufacturing engineering at UTEP.
"He's at the point where he's completed more than half of it," said Mike Huerta, a UTEP engineering professor who teaches the weekend courses that Dominguez is taking. "He's invested all this time and (now we tell him), 'Guess what? You can't finish."' Dominguez works full time as a manufacturing engineer, and he and his wife are expecting their first child in September.
Kolbe said it would be a "miracle" if the bill is passed in time for the fall semester, but that it can pass quicker if there is little controversy.
The F-3 visa would be easier to get because they would not have financial requirements. Full-time students must now prove they can pay tuition and support themselves. Kolbe said that shouldn't be a problem because the requirements for the F-3 would be the same as for the tourist visa.
In 2001, the INS issued 292,764 F-1 visas and 5,376 M-1 visas for vocational, trade, or other nonacademic studies.
For comparison, in 1999, 31.4 million people entered the United States with some type of visa, according to the INS.
When illegals get sick and injured, and area hospitals are stuck with the bill, who pays? The local citizens. Obviously, the Federal government SHOULD pay, or better yet, better control the borders.
Anti-American Senator Hatch's bill S.1291 (in-state tuition for illegal aliens)passed out the Judiciary Committee on a voice vote today. It seems Senator Hatch would like to give illegal aliens a benefit that American children would not be eligible for. Go to Numbersusa.com and fax Senator Hatch and tell him to withdraw this bill that bestows a benefit on illegal aliens that American children cannot receive.
I wonder how many of those people INS can locate now? Probably very few or none.
Have you seen this outrage?
Hatch Bill Creates Amnesty for Illegal Alien Students
Utah Republican to Offer In-State Tuition as Well
(Washington DC, June 20, 2002)
This morning the full Senate Judiciary Committee approved by voice vote a bill to grant amnesty to illegal aliens who graduate from high school or college. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) introduced the "Dream Act," that would allow all 50 states to subsidize tuition for illegal aliens at state universities. FAIR Executive Director Dan Stein called the Dream Act, "A nightmare for students who play by the rules and taxpayers everywhere."
Under Hatch's legislation, illegal aliens under the age of 21, who have resided in the United States for at least five years, would be allowed to attend public universities in their state of residence at the subsidized in-state tuition rate. In addition, under a substitute offered by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL), legal residency is all but assured for illegal aliens if they graduate from high school or have even a remote chance of getting a GED.
In states like California, Hatch's action would amount to an $11,000-a-year subsidy per amnestied student. "The Dream Act is bad fiscal policy, bad immigration policy and aside from that, it has never had a single hearing before the subcommittee or committee" said Stein.
The Hatch legislation would also add new burdens to the dysfunctional, and soon to be dismantled, Immigration and Naturalization Service. The INS, which admits it has no idea where more than half a million foreign students to whom it has issued visas are, or whether they are actually enrolled in school, would be required to verify the claims of an unknown number of applicants and make sure that they graduate from an accredited institution within six years.
"With the cost of a college education skyrocketing, slots at state-subsidized universities are becoming the only hope of a higher education for many American families," observed Stein. "Now we have a prominent member of Congress trying to jam through legislation that will give illegal aliens the same chance at these seats as citizens who play by the rules." The legislation is clearly unfair to out-of-state citizens and out-of-state legal aliens who will be forced to pay full tuition while those who broke our laws are granted a substantial benefit.
FAIR 6/02 ###END
Illegal aliens are criminals. Aiding and abetting them is a felony. Illegal aliens need to be removed from the country. Period. Hatch has lost his marbles.
Bump.
And as far as hatch and his stupid "dream" act goes..
I have a dream also.. Of telling Orrin: "Yes, I would like fries with that..
In California, where I used to live, did it the right way. We passed Prop. 187, which forbid the state from providing services to illegal aliens, and required them to report them to the INS. It passed, and over 40% of Hispanics voted for it. So much for the ridiculous idea that it was "racist."
The important parts of it were overturned by a federal judge, screwing the state's taxpayers. So, the feds say "we're not going to enforce immigration law" but you states can't refuse to take on the massive costs of illegal immigrants.
Oh, yeah, and then-Texas Gov. Bush made a particular point of denouncing Prop. 187, even though it did not concern him, as he was not a Californian.
Utah Republican to Offer In-State Tuition as Well
You can address both of these issues on the NUMBERS USA site.
I already sent my FAX!!
So what they are saying here is that we should put our country and families at risk so Eduardo, an alien, can finish school? Frankly they can take all their sob stories and cram them where the sun doesn't shine.
"Kolbe said it would be a "miracle" if the bill is passed in time for the fall semester, but that it can pass quicker if there is little controversy."
Well fasten your seat belt Kolbe, there very well will be controvery.
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