McGorty & Perillo Oppose In-State Tuition Rates for Illegal Immigrants
State Representatives Ben McGorty (R-122) and Jason Perillo (R-113) opposed a measure brought before the state House of Representatives Tuesday which will allow illegal immigrants living in Connecticut to qualify for the same in-state tuition rates at state universities and colleges after having completed a minimum of two years of high school education in the state. Governor Dannel P. Malloy has been leading the effort to implement this change.
“As Americans we are all descended from immigrants,” said Rep, McGorty. “But the practice of granting undocumented residents who are here in violation of federal law in-state tuition, and now attempting to relax the standard further, goes against the notion that immigrants must work toward citizenship through the legal framework we have in place to achieve their dreams.”
“The policy of granting those who are in our country illegally the same privileges to attend our colleges and universities as those who are legal residents of this state is wrong for a variety of reasons,” said Rep. Perillo. “The advocates of this measure say this will lead to these undocumented individuals remaining in the state, enhancing our workforce and becoming citizens. However, the individuals this legislation assists cannot even legally obtain jobs in this country. Legal immigration is bedrock of our national character, and I want to see immigrants become part of the American fabric, but they should be on a path to legal citizenship first.”
Both legislators noted that there is a finite amount of financial resources in the state budget to accommodate students attending at the in-state rates, and there is a great likelihood that many students who are legal residents could be bumped from attending to accommodate an undocumented student.
They also pointed out that since the program was initiated in 2012 there has been no way to quantify how many students have benefitted from the program due to the fact that state institutions of higher learning are prohibited from sharing that data.
The bill passed narrowly in the House by a vote of 78-70 and now heads to the State Senate for action there. This session of the Connecticut General Assembly concludes at midnight, June 3rd.