Hatch pushes tuition help for kids of illegal immigrants

Salt Lake Tribune ^ | 8/2/2003 | Christopher Smith

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

WASHINGTON -- Children of illegal immigrants could pay in-state tuition at public colleges under a bill Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch has reintroduced after it died in the House last year.

Hatch's "Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors," or DREAM Act, is similar to legislation introduced this spring by Utah 3rd District Republican Rep. Chris Cannon. Cannon's measure, the "Student Adjustment Act," has picked up 66 co-sponsors from both parties. Hatch's bill also has bipartisan support, with Illinois Democratic Sen. Richard Durbin the primary co-sponsor.

"By introducing this bill, I know I am subjecting myself to criticism from both sides of the aisle," Hatch said Thursday on the Senate floor. "Some proponents of strict immigration enforcement argue that the DREAM Act will encourage illegal entry into the United States. However, the DREAM Act was carefully crafted to avoid this precise problem."

The bill would repeal a provision of federal law barring states from granting in-state tuition to undocumented aliens, allowing states to determine whether such tuition breaks should be permitted. The legislation also would grant conditional residency status to young immigrants who came to the United States before age 16, lived in this country at least five years, were accepted to a college or graduated from high school and "who are of good moral character."

The Utah Legislature in 2002 granted in-state tuition to children of undocumented immigrants who spent at least three years in the state's high school system, but the law was contingent upon repeal of the federal prohibition.

However, on the advice of the Utah attorney general, Utah higher education institutions began offering the in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants despite the current statute's threat of a loss of federal aid.

Hatch pointed to the case of University of Utah student Daniel King Cairo, who came to the United States at age 6 with his mother, who abandoned him at age 14. He was adopted by a Utah family, but because of the date of his adoption, he cannot derive his immigration status from his adoptive parent.

"He, therefore, lives in legal limbo and faces the threat of deportation daily," said Hatch, who took the unusual step of introducing "private" legislation last October to adjust Cairo's immigration status to permanent U.S. resident. The bill died in committee last year.

csmith@sltrib.com

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

This bill died and it needs to stay dead.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Senator-for-life Hatch is at it again.

[goldstategop]

How come American citizens don't get these tuition breaks? Here we go again...

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

It's time for me to send another letter to the good senator. This stinks. He's trying to throw a bone to the Mexican community because they keep whining to the local media that they're not getting enough of a free ride here. Hatch is trying to buy some votes and get them off his backside just like the RINO that he is. Makes me sick.

[steplock]

Hatch:

Go back to your SOCIALIST DEMOCRAT roots and take the rest of the socialist rino's with you.

The GOP has how many "converted" dems in the ranks?

Haven't the FOOLS figured out the incrementalism of communism yet??

We have NO GOP anymore. Just as there are very few DEMOCRATS (real ones) there are very few REPUBLICANS in power.

[breakem]

Thw whole country has gone nuts.

[Vesuvian]

How about deportation help? They want amnesty, I'll give them amnesty- Illegals have 30 days to get out of the country before they're arrested and thrown out.

[putupon]

This doesn't sit too well w/ me. We owe 250K for the wife's out-of-state Med School expenses, while the in-state schools are packed w/ 40% out-of-state & out-of-country foriegners.

[MichiganCheese]

Pandering traitor.

[glock rocks]

can we deport orrin back to pennsylvania?

[steve50]

We have NO GOP anymore. Just as there are very few DEMOCRATS (real ones) there are very few REPUBLICANS in power

It does seem the socialist/fascist cabal, or synarchists I think they're called, are pretty much in complete control. I wonder how much longer we're going to buy into this good cop/bad cop routine they've been feeding us for the last 100 years or so.

[doc]

How about a bill that would sending more money to arrest the felonious illegal immigrants and deport them?

[FITZ]

Buying votes is costing us too much money.

[D. Miles]

To H with tuition breaks, they are here breaking our laws. Send em packing and tell them in ten years if they want to return to apply for a visa, and we shall see.

[Jeff Head]

Compassion is a good thing and should be liberally applied by individual private citizens. But Hatch as an elected representative should use his time in office to look after the interests of the American citizens who elected him.

If he wants to look after the best interests of illegal aliens, then move to Senora and get elected there.

IMHO, this is crazy.

[MichiganCheese]

It's costing us money and a whole lot more. We might as well get rid of the term "illegal alien" because it doesn't seem to be illegal anymore. People like Hatch are aiding in the destruction of our country and our way of life.

[goldstategop]

Sen. Hatch is not offering in-state tuition benefits for Americans not from Utah. They're exclusively for illegal aliens. Its a blatant violation of the 14th Amendment.

[freekitty]

Can we bring the Congress people up on charges?

[MichiganCheese]

So much for upholding the constitution. It's a sad truth but the national interest will never be ahead of personal interests for many elected officials from any party.

[upchuck]

Hatch's "Development, Relief and Education for Alien Criminal Minors,"...

'Nuff said.