State delegate defends in-state tuition for illegal immigrants
Hafiz Rashid
Issue date: 12/4/07 Section: News
After the state legislature failed to grant illegal immigrants in-state tuition in last spring's session, Delegate Victor Ramirez (D-Prince George's) defended the proposal in a speech on the campus yesterday.
Ramirez is the co-sponsor of a bill that grants students who have spent two years in Maryland high schools in-state tuition regardless of immigration status. The bill passed the House of Delegates in March but was stalled in a Senate subcommittee as the legislative session drew to a close.
"A lot of the time you've got mothers and fathers whose kids were born in the U.S.," Ramirez said yesterday. "We have to help these kids."
Ramirez's speech, titled "State Options for Immigration Absent Federal Action" was part of the Academy Talks series hosted by the campus-based James MacGregor Burns Academy of Leadership. The speech was held in the Lucille Maurer Leadership Library in Taliaferro Hall. Ramirez represents the House of Delegates' 47th District, which includes areas south and west of the university. The delegate was born in El Salvador, came to the United States when he was 5 and has lived in Prince George's County ever since.
State immigration laws are becoming part of the national debate, Ramirez said.
"We're not even talking illegal immigration," he said. "We're talking state issues like university tuition, residency and sanctuary states and cities."
As the "white elephant in the room," the widespread presence of undocumented immigrants is becoming hard to avoid, Ramirez said.
"Undocumented immigrants live in our neighborhoods, ride the buses with us and go to school with us," Ramirez said. He cited census figures that said there were 12 million illegal and undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
Illegal immigrants have also done their duty in serving their country, Ramirez said.
"We have kids fighting in the war [in Iraq] that aren't documented," he said. "One of the first casualties in Iraq was an undocumented immigrant who came to California when he was young and went to high school there. He's probably not the last one."
About 30 people were in the audience, said Tyrone A. Stewart, program coordinator for the Rawlings Undergraduate Leadership Fellows Program.
Sophomore general business major and Rawlings Undergraduate Fellow John Nash said Ramirez was a "good speaker."
"He was informative and showed a lot of practical emotion," Nash said. "He didn't beat around the bush and was real down-to-earth."
newsdesk@dbk.umd.edu
Ramirez is the co-sponsor of a bill that grants students who have spent two years in Maryland high schools in-state tuition regardless of immigration status. The bill passed the House of Delegates in March but was stalled in a Senate subcommittee as the legislative session drew to a close.
"A lot of the time you've got mothers and fathers whose kids were born in the U.S.," Ramirez said yesterday. "We have to help these kids."
Ramirez's speech, titled "State Options for Immigration Absent Federal Action" was part of the Academy Talks series hosted by the campus-based James MacGregor Burns Academy of Leadership. The speech was held in the Lucille Maurer Leadership Library in Taliaferro Hall. Ramirez represents the House of Delegates' 47th District, which includes areas south and west of the university. The delegate was born in El Salvador, came to the United States when he was 5 and has lived in Prince George's County ever since.
State immigration laws are becoming part of the national debate, Ramirez said.
"We're not even talking illegal immigration," he said. "We're talking state issues like university tuition, residency and sanctuary states and cities."
As the "white elephant in the room," the widespread presence of undocumented immigrants is becoming hard to avoid, Ramirez said.
"Undocumented immigrants live in our neighborhoods, ride the buses with us and go to school with us," Ramirez said. He cited census figures that said there were 12 million illegal and undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
Illegal immigrants have also done their duty in serving their country, Ramirez said.
"We have kids fighting in the war [in Iraq] that aren't documented," he said. "One of the first casualties in Iraq was an undocumented immigrant who came to California when he was young and went to high school there. He's probably not the last one."
About 30 people were in the audience, said Tyrone A. Stewart, program coordinator for the Rawlings Undergraduate Leadership Fellows Program.
Sophomore general business major and Rawlings Undergraduate Fellow John Nash said Ramirez was a "good speaker."
"He was informative and showed a lot of practical emotion," Nash said. "He didn't beat around the bush and was real down-to-earth."
newsdesk@dbk.umd.edu
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Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 12
Herndon Resident
posted 12/04/07 @ 1:26 PM EST
Why continue to provide incentives to illegal aliens? Illegal alien parents bring their illegal alien children here because the incentives that are provided at tax payer expense. (Continued…)
eyeroll
posted 12/04/07 @ 1:54 PM EST
the name "herndon resident" says it all.
Rolling eyes at eyeroll
posted 12/04/07 @ 8:49 PM EST
Yes, the name "Herndon Resident" does say it all because this person is more than likely a person who has had their neighborhood turned into a place where it is ok for you to passed out drunk on the yard, 20 unrelated people living in a house, a place where petty crimes have increased and the schools have suffered because of an influx of students who parents do not pay any school taxes to pay for the ESL programs or for their kids to attend the school. (Continued…)
eyerroll (doble r, no es cierto?)
posted 12/05/07 @ 10:18 AM EST
I love getting judged by my opinions! I would say that I'm of latin american descent, but then you'd just judge me by the fact that I'm "spanish."
tell me, if I were that wealthy, wouldn't I worry, too, about "illegal aliens" taking away my riches? the logic of you people is faulty at best, and heavily based in stereotype: "a place where it is ok for you to passed out drunk on the yard, 20 unrelated people living in a house, a place where petty crimes have increased"? really? that actually reminds me a little bit of college park. (Continued…)
Jose
posted 12/05/07 @ 11:32 AM EST
All illegals need to be put in a work camp for a year each time they are caught. That way they can help pay back the gov since they will be working for free. (Continued…)
Mike
posted 12/05/07 @ 12:34 PM EST
Jose, that is a wonderful idea.
I'd say at the least if you can't provide proof of U.S citizenship you should have to pay out-of-state tuition regardless of where you live. (Continued…)
Jose
posted 12/05/07 @ 1:19 PM EST
Come on, why outsource jobs to another country when we can have all of the illegals work for us for free in jail? They love the USA so much they can work in our jail slave encampment and make us some cash baby!
Mike
posted 12/05/07 @ 1:51 PM EST
You have some wonderful ideas, Jose. If I hadn't already graduated and left CP I'd offer to buy you a cerveza.
John
posted 12/05/07 @ 10:26 PM EST
Wow, Im from out of state and I have to pay out of state tuition. Its unreal that people are fighting for instate tuition for illegal immigrants when they should not even legally be in our country. (Continued…)
Again rolling eyes
posted 12/06/07 @ 9:27 AM EST
No I wouldn't judge you if your were of Spanish descent. But if you or your parents, regardless of race, broke into a country that I personally spent 4 years serving in the Armed Forces then I will judge you as a lowlife criminal. (Continued…)
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