The admission of illegal immigrants to public institutions of higher education is an issue North Carolinians oppose in significant numbers. However, strong public sentiment hasn’t stopped Sen. Charles Albertson (D-Duplin) from introducing legislation (SB-848) to admit illegal immigrants to the state’s community college system.
While the State Board of Community Colleges has contracted with a consultant to help answer the question whether community colleges should admit illegal immigrants, most residents of the Tar Heel state already know it’s a bad idea.
North Carolinians know there is something inherently wrong with offering educational benefits — paid for with the hard-earned money of law-abiding taxpayers – to individuals who are in this country illegally and who are oftentimes accessing more in services than they are paying in taxes.
Growing social tensions and expanding demands on public services have accompanied the influx of illegal immigrants to North Carolina. The recent downturn in the economy has helped to moderate some of these problems. In addition, the implementation of the 287-G program in seven North Carolina counties has also helped to curb growing illegal immigration problems and helped to combat the state’s national reputation for being soft on illegal immigration.
Taxpayers are already asked to provide illegals with free public education and public health care via Emergency Medicaid. Allowing illegals to access to higher education will only provide even more incentives for illegals to come to our state and tax our social services.
Is it good public policy to grant illegals access to an educational system whose budgets, enrollments and course offerings are already stretched to the limit by the current economic downturn?
SB 848 provides benefits for individuals who have violated immigration laws. In so doing, the bill disrespects our nation’s laws and as well as the plight of other immigrants. It trivializes the efforts of millions of law-abiding immigrants who have endured financial hardships and years of waiting to comply with our nation’s immigration and employment laws.
Should our community colleges admit illegal immigrants? No other legislator has signed on in support of SB 848 and an overwhelming majority of North Carolinians are opposed to the idea. That’s why SB 848 is the “Bad Bill of the Week.”
Interested in learning more about immigration in North Carolina?
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