Rhode Island approves in-state tuition for illegal immigrants

[The Northerner]

(Reuters) - Illegal immigrants in Rhode Island now qualify for lower in-state tuition following a unanimous vote by a higher education board, an official said on Tuesday.

The Board of Governors for Higher Education approved the measure at a meeting on late Monday in the wake of inaction by the state legislature, which introduced similar bills over six years never took action.

Governor Lincoln Chaffee had urged the board to adopt the measure, said board spokesman Michael Trainor.

Some 400 people crowded into the meeting at Community College of Rhode Island, where all 11 members in attendance from the 13-member board voted for the measure.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/27/us-immigrants-rhodeisland-idUSTRE78Q45S20110927

[HappyMe]

1. Go Rhody! nt

[digitaln3rd]

2. Guess I won't be visiting Rhode Island anytime soon anymore.

Terrible move - so they pay less tuition then me just because the got into the country illegally?

[mainer]

3. I think they pay less tuition than you because they're RI residents.

If you're a RI resident, then you pay RI taxes. Which should qualify one for RI in-state tuition.

We forget that, yes, even illegal immigrants pay taxes.

[KamaAina]

5. DING DING DING!!

:thumbsup:

[Obamanaut]

11. Yet they are illegal nonetheless. When they apply for the in-state rate

INS should be notified.

[KamaAina]

12. How exactly would you propose to do that?

They don't check a box marked "I am an undocumented immigrant, and I am applying for the in-state tuition rate". They apply for it the same way as any other Rhode Islander. Would you have URI turn over its entire list of in-state applicants to La Migra? :scared:

P.S. News flash: It's called ICE now.

[Obamanaut]

15. One way to start the proces would be to requre a USICS form I9, similar

to the requrement for employment.

It's not that hard, even with the incorrect acronym.

[COLGATE4]

14. Boy, keep that Christian love coming. Wow!

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mitchtv]

8. illegality implies guilt

these kids are blameless (no intent) and, they are residents of the state

[pampango]

4. Great. RI joins 12 other states that have done the same.

The twelve states that provide in-state tuition for undocumented students are California (2011), Illinois (2011), Kansas (2004), Maryland (2011), Nebraska (2005), New Mexico (2004), New York (2002), Oklahoma (2008), Texas (2001), Utah (2002), Washington (2003), and Wisconsin (2009).

Some republican states adopted this reform before the tea party took control of the gop on immigration policy, but the states that have adopted it this year are all have Democratic legislatures and governors.

[ceile]

10. TX 2001 before the Leg went completely mental. n/t

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. Shouldn't we keep them ignorant and picking lettuce for us?

Why, they might get the idea that they're human and deserve better wages and citizenship. Scary.

[Starry Messenger]

9. Wow, unrecs on this.

We are a nation of immigrants. :shrug: Pulling up the ladder after some, but not helping others doesn't seem very cool. Most of this country was stolen from others.

[Luminous Animal]

13. Good.