by John Dankosky - Immigration has been overtaken by health reform, recession, war and countless other issues in the last two years. We forget that it was our biggest national conversation not so long ago. While Connecticut doesn’t face the kind of pressing immigration questions of other states, we’ve thrown ourselves into the national dialog with groundbreaking decisions by municipal leaders.
One of our cities, Danbury, has taken a notably firm attitude toward illegal immigrants – with its mayor, Mark Boughton, leading a national movement to force law enforcement’s hand in cracking down on undocumented aliens. Another city, New Haven, has become a sanctuary of sorts – the police given “hands off” orders, and municipal I.D. cards distributed to give aliens some sense of status.
These polar attitudes have stirred up emotions and made our state a kind of ground zero for the immigration debate. The range of calls we get about how our community should cope with illegal immigrants has spanned the entire spectrum – from “send them all back” to “let everyone in.” Neither side is truly discussing the problem rationally – but both are firm in their points of view.
What’s my job? Listen…ask questions…try to find answers. But there’s this one part of the immigration question that periodically comes up which honestly just stumps me. I have no way of understanding how it’s become a fight – the question of undocumented minors.
About 65,000 students each year graduate from American high schools, without being citizens of the U.S. Many of these kids are bright, hard-working, model students. Some – like in any high school – are not. But the shocking number is that only about 5% of these graduates get to go to college. That’s because the rising cost of tuition is beyond their means, and they have no way to apply for federal financial aid. In Connecticut, these students cannot get an “in-state” tuition rate – a savings of thousand of dollars, which may mean the difference between a college degree and not. In some cases, they’re wrongly scared into thinking that applying for schools might lead to deportation. In other cases, they face reprisals from schools when their status becomes known.
On Tuesday’s Where We Live, we met three of these students: Alex, Vanessa and Raphael. Each of them came to this country illegally because of a decision their parents made – not one of their own. Each of them is an American kid – a good student – an aspiring college freshmen.
Alex wants to teach. Vanessa wants to be a pediatrician. Raphael wants to work for a non-profit. Their stories are remarkable and inspiring.
We talked about “The Dream Act” - federal legislation that’s been hanging around for years, that would provide status to minors who are living in this country illegally. We talked about state legislation that would put the cost of college within reach by offering the same in-state rate afforded to other residents. Neither of these bills are likely to pass soon – as we continue our partisan battles over health plans and budget fixes.
I’m going to post some of the comments we’ve received so far about this issue below, and I hope to generate more. I’m not saying I have the answer to this. But, I do have a question: If these kids are going to grow up in this country, and will continue their drive to improve themselves, provide for their families, and bolster their communities, should they be given the best possible chance to succeed?
We heard from several callers about how they or their families had come to this country legally, and that we shouldn’t support and condone illegal activity. But, the question we tackled today really isn’t about immigration status. It’s more simple: Should children be held responsible for the actions of their parents?
I’d love your feedback.
One question/clarification: you state above that there are 65K kids who graduate w/o being citizens. Students don’t have to be citizens in order to qualify for in state tuition, do they? I don’t know about federal aid, but there’s a difference between being a citizen and being a legal permanent resident.
I see this getting blurred a lot in the immigration debate. Granting someone permanent residence status (aka a greencard) or some other residence visa situation doesn’t make them citizens, able to vote, etc. They’re different and convey different rights & responsibilities.
I’m no expert in these issues, so perhaps I’m missing something. Could you clarify that statistic and it’s relationship to the opportunities available to these kids?
Thanks!
Sujal
Sujal,
Good question. As of our last numbers, 10 states offer in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants, so long as they meet certain requirements.
The state bill that’s been proposed in Connecticut and enforced in these other states deals specifically with “undocumented” children – not those with permanent residency. I will get clarification for you from the authors of the bill, who may – or may not – seek to pass it again this session.
Below is a description of the federal “Dream Act” – and how it would trump the need for state action like this:
The proposed DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) Act would repeal a provision of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 that denies an unlawful alien’s eligibility for higher education benefits based on state residence unless a U. S. national is also eligible regardless of residence. It also authorizes the Homeland Security Secretary to cancel the removal of, and adjust to conditional permanent resident status, an alien who:
1. entered the United States before his or her 16th birthday, and has been present in the United States for at least five years immediately preceding enactment of the act;
2. is a person of good moral character;
3. is not inadmissible or deportable under certain provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act;
4. at the time of application, has been admitted to an institution of higher education or has earned a high school or equivalent diploma; and
5. from the age of 16 and older, has never been under a final order of exclusion, deportation, or removal.
The bill also sets the conditions for the conditional permanent resident status.
Listener Email from Nathalie
Submitted by ctalarski on January 12, 2010 – 11:06am.
Even if they weren´t star students like they seem to be (and good for them), it is like John said: a question of educational fairness. Most undocumented kids had no choice in becoming illegal aliens. They are carrying the heavy burden of something their parents chose to do. These kids are not going to go anywhere, they are American in their hearts, and if they stay and have kids here, their kids will suffer the burden of coming from disadvantaged parents. The point made by the woman who came here legally is fair, but these kids are a special population that should not be punished for life for the misjudgments of others. To let them be where they are is going back many steps in human rights and obviously children’s rights in particular.
Also, most immigrant pay taxes through the process described by Rafael (the ITalian kid), yet they don’t receive the same benefits.
This group of kids is not sitting idly by either: http://trailofdreams.net/Home.html
Listener Email from Joseph
Submitted by ctalarski on January 12, 2010 – 11:04am.
I listen to your program most mornings but I felt compelled to comment on today’s program.
I believe that any comment that starts with, “I’m here illegally but….” is self defeating.
If you are in this country under false pretenses, no matter for how long, no matter how many children you have, or were born here, it’s wrong !
We have laws for reasons. I understand that many of the children of these illegal immigrants have attended school but that does not absolve their parents from their illegal behavior. If you don’t like the current immigration laws then work to change them.
Listener Email from Susan
Submitted by ctalarski on January 12, 2010 – 11:03am.
This is a parenting issue. As a mom, I make choices about my childrens’ future every day. When families choose to oversay their visa, for example, they can’t expect this country or this state to simply absorb the costs of that choice. I pity the kids who find college nearly impossible to pay for but millions of legal citizens also find college nearly impossible to pay for.
Let’s not reward the law-breaking family. We are giving more incentive for people to enter illegally. If illegal immigrants could form their own funding source for financial support for education, that would be fine.
Punishing children for parents’ sins
Submitted by Josh Michtom (not verified) on January 12, 2010 – 1:58pm.
Susan says, “Let’s not reward the law-breaking family.” But we mustn’t punish the children for their parents’ lawbreaking either. When a baby is born addicted to drugs, we don’t deny medical care to that child because the parent was breaking the law, and no one seriously suggests that caring for that baby gives more incentive for other pregnant women to use drugs. We recognize that the child is an innocent bystander and help as best we can, while addressing the problem of illegal drug use in other ways. We should do the same for these kids: if our goal is to reduce illegal immigration, so be it, but to do that by punishing innocent kids is simply uncivilized.
For someone who’s one of the legal aliens in this country, Mr. Michtom’s reply and what he advocates nauseated me.
Mr. Michtom justified his support of this issue with the ” We don’t deny babies born addicted to drugs medical care” reasoning, ehh, but when these “babies” were born in other countries, I don’t think any sane and responsible government would ever want to get into the business of saving all addicted babies.
These parents nowingly broke the law and brought their children here illegally and never even attempted to right their wrongs over the years, and now Mr. Michtom is saying that they shouldn’t be punished? Pardon me, but why don’t we just throw a party every time they break the law? Or better yet, why not just wipe out all the laws all together? Children whose parents who broke other laws have to endure all kinds of hardship and damages because of their parents’ crimes, but that simply is just what the consequence of breaking the laws.
I do not believe in punishing the minors who were brought here — though if heard correctly, one of your guests “an undocumented minor” came here by his own means. I commend their achievements and their desired careers. But their ability to get these benefits would be at the expense of many of the legal residents & citizens who are in just as much financial need.
I agree with the comment above that the argument: “I’m here illegally but….” is self defeating. The guests you interviewed may think of themselves as “American” kids (or even CT kids), but they are not legally — Period. The argument of how they got here is irrelevant, as is the argument what they want to do with their life is also irrelevant.
In this time of recession, job loss for everyone and the increased need by everyone in the state– we can’t ignore those in need who legally abide by the rules for those who didn’t — it seems to violate the idea put forth in this borrowed Christian adage (Matthew 7.5) “Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam in thy own eye, and then shalt thou see to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”
To be fair, I offer this as a possible solution: I would give them the opportunity to go to college and get in-state rates and financial aid. — the catch is they would have to become “legal”, for example:
* starting the green-card,
* getting a legal student visa,
* starting the citizen process and be at least 1 year into either process
They would need to do one of these before they could qualify.
It is the only way to be fair to everyone.
You realize that the “catch” you suggested is EXACTLY what undocumented teens want, and that they currently have no way to attain any of that because of decisions that their parents made without any input from the minors? You’re fond of Bible quotes, here’s one: “Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers; everyone shall be put to death for his own sin.” Deuteronomy 24:16. What logic is there in punishing illegals that were forcibly and unknowingly brought here as children?
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Undocumented parents who brought their minors without their say are already being punished. Why should they be punished? Arent they already being punished by having no insurance, no job, no socail security?I agree that minors are not held responsible for their parents’ decisions. But, one must realize that they have suffered. They ofteb hace no choice but to succumb to drug selling to make money. And I am clearly devastated and extremely ashamed of the individual who had the valor to post and express his thoughts against the “law breakers” using the bible.