Legislative leaders are again considering a debate over whether to permit illegal immigrants to attend state schools at the same reduced tuition rates that Massachusetts citizens normally pay.
I’ve voted against so-called “in-state tuition” in the past and there’s nothing I’ve heard recently that would change my mind on this issue.
As I see it, the issue isn’t whether immigrants should get an education so that they can have an opportunity to better themselves in this country. Of course they should; that’s the American Dream. The issue is that our state should not be providing the privileged benefits of citizenship to people whose very presence in this state is illegal.
Letting illegal immigrants attend state schools at discounted rates sends a bad message in several ways. It tells Massachusetts taxpayers that their tax money is going to be used to reward people who break the law, and that’s wrong. It tells Massachusetts citizens that they must stand in line and compete with illegal residents to receive limited educational resources from our state schools, and that’s wrong. It tells legal immigrants that we don’t place any value on their extra effort to follow the rules in coming to this country, and that’s wrong too. And it tells illegal immigrants that our state is willing to look the other way if they break the law, and that’s very wrong.
There is an editorial in today’s Worcester Telegram that frames the issue nicely and raises many of the same points I believe. As they say, the issue basically demonstrates a failure on the federal level to deal with the persistent problem of illegal immigrants in this country. It’s a problem that needs to be solved, not just in terms of in-state tuition, but also in terms of health care and other benefits that our state is forced to provide to people who don’t reside here legally.
And, I have one more thought about this issue. I think it’s unfortunate that legislative leaders are putting a premium on debating the in-state tuition issue at a time when there are so many other pressing matters that remain unresolved by the Legislature. In my opinion, we shouldn’t even be thinking about this issue at a time when the citizens of Massachusetts are struggling to cope with a poor economy, a lack of jobs, and limited state resources. It’s time for Beacon Hill to get its priorities back in order.
That’s just my opinion. What do you think? Please post a comment below and join the conversation.
