Lawsuit Against UC: Illegals Paying Less for College Tuition Than Americans
And some are upset about it. I’d be upset about it today!
How are those that are breaking our laws getting off paying less than American citizens? These colleges should be checking for citizenship before even admitting them to the schools! I’m tired of these people being called “undocumented” immigrants too. They are ILLEGAL immigrants, and they shouldn’t be treated like or better than American citizens. I hope they win this lawsuit against the schools of California, because our system is being abused by those who are breaking our laws.
OUT OF STATE STUDENTS SUING; ILLEGALS GET CHEAPER TUITION (Hat Tip: Butterfly from Conservative’s Chat Room)
Contending that they are illegally charged higher tuition and fees than undocumented immigrants, a group of out-of-state students and parents filed a class-action lawsuit Wednesday against California’s public university and community college systems.
The suit, filed in Yolo County Superior Court, challenges practices based on 2001 state legislation that allows certain undocumented immigrants to pay the same charges for college as other California students. California is one of at least nine states that permit some undocumented immigrants to pay in-state fees, an issue that has drawn fire from advocates of tougher policies against illegal immigration.
The suit contends that 60,000 out-of-state students at University of California, California State University and public community college campuses have illegally been required in recent years to pay higher, nonresident charges. For example, out-of-state undergraduates at UC campuses are paying an average of $24,589 to attend this year, versus the $6,769 charged students who qualify for in-state fees.
In California, the number of undocumented students paying in-state fee levels is believed to be by far the highest at community colleges, but their number, estimated at 15,000, is well below 1% of overall enrollment at the two-year schools. At UC last year, 407 students were counted as “potentially” undocumented immigrants. Cal State provided no estimate.
No specific amount of damages is sought in the suit, but the lead lawyer for the group of 42 named plaintiffs, Redwood City attorney Michael J. Brady, said the amount could total “hundreds of millions” of dollars.Among the plaintiffs are former San Diego County Rep. Brian Bilbray, the Republican running for the seat vacated by Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, who recently pleaded guilty to corruption charges. Bilbray has been active in efforts against illegal immigration. Also named are Bilbray’s two children, Briana and Patrick, who reportedly had to pay out-of-state tuition at San Diego City College after moving back to California from Virginia.
Along with seeking compensation for the out-of-state plaintiffs, the case could galvanize critics of illegal immigration who want to do away with the provisions granting in-state rates for qualifying undocumented students who attended California high schools.
This is a huge case. We need to stand behind those filing this suit, because this is an important legal battle against illegal immigration. Apparently this is happening all over the country, so if they win this suit, it will set a precedent that will assist in the battle against Illegal Immigration greatly. If the immigrants were here legally, this wouldn’t be an issue. These people shouldn’t be defended by our laws, because they came here illegally!
I’m calling for other bloggers to get this story out, because the Press is ignoring this issue for the most part. Immigration advocates will be pushing for the state of California to uphold this law, so it will be key for us to provide the American people the information they need to make an educated decision. Too many people are unaware of the huge amounts of money we are wasting on illegals. They should win this case, and we need to stand strong against Illegal Immigration.
Cross-posted from Right on the Right