Regents Ban Illegal Immigrants From University Of Georgia, Georgia Tech

Georgia's state board of regents decided today to ban illegal immigrants from the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech and four other schools effective next fall, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The new ruling gives admissions favor to Georgia residents. According to the Journal-Constitution, the regents ruled that illegal immigrants should not be able to enroll at any college "that has rejected academically qualified applicants for the past two academic years because of a lack of space or other issues." The other schools affected by the ban include Georgia State, Medical College of Georgia and Georgia College & State University.

Earlier this year, the state was rocked by the case of Jessica Colotl, a Kennesaw State University student who was placed in a detention center after she was discovered to be an illegal immigrant during a routine traffic stop. After an intense lobbying campaign, her case was deferred for a year and she was allowed to continue in her studies.

In light of Colotl's case, the Journal-Constitution reported that Georgia's public colleges actually require unlawful U.S. residents to lie on their college applications in order to have any chance of gaining entry:

The form used by the 35 institutions that make up the University System of Georgia asks prospective students to disclose their citizen status. They have just three options:

* U.S. citizen;

* Nonresident alien: A person who is not a citizen or national of the U.S. and who is in this country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely;

* Permanent resident: A non-citizen living in the U.S. under legally recognized and lawfully recorded permanent residence status as an immigrant.

According to the Red & Black, the University of Georgia's freshman class has not a single undocumented student. Previously, the regents said that undocumented students could attend the state's public universities if they paid out-of-state tuition.

What's your take? Does this ruling seem extreme or fair? Weigh in below.

Comments

[agent 0083]

08:31 PM on 10/14/2010

RATHER, The University should focus on how students can become better human beings, and how they can contribute to society. This is really bad PR for the University. It reflects on their poor values as an institution.

[Truebluepatriot1012]

08:51 PM on 10/14/2010

Good point, agent 0083. Anyone who has actually met a significant number of these college students---who are by and large excellent students who already work 3x harder, and without the ability to even apply for Student Loans that other students take for granted---would want their universities to encourage them rather than destroying their American Dreams. We know that for the vast majority of them, this _is_ the country they grew up in.

[George R Williams]

06:02 AM on 10/15/2010

I'm tired of this specious claim that these DREAM Act are somehow above average, and better than citizens; their hapless competitors. This cannot be a statistical fact, but more likely an exaggeration to gain sympathy and discredit our authorities. Slots in universities are a zero sum game. I find it reprehensible that people should be ceding equal rights to foreigners at the expense of our children. Such disloyalty! Illegal aliens are lucky to avoid deportation, never mind be given equal right to our citizens. It is not the fault of citizen child who would be displaced by an illegal alien that such applicants have illegal status. It's mighty generous of you critics to be so willing to countenance such proposals. Maybe if you or your child were a victim of such thinking you'd think differently. Take out your rage on parents of illegal aliens, not the regents.

[George R Williams]

07:00 AM on 10/15/2010

Yeah, they shouldn't respect the wishes of the taxpayers who fund such institutions. They should be ivory towered, above all those poor miserable wretches who labor for a living.

[javadrinker]

06:52 PM on 10/14/2010

Ask any student who enters the "Study Abroad Program" and see the hoops each country puts you through to attend their colleges. Police Background Check, Medical Report, etc............there is a long checklist.

[david c taylor]

04:39 PM on 10/14/2010

no, it's not unfair. if a student is that determined to go to school, they should get permanent resident status or apply for citizenship. i wouldn't wander up to canada and just apply to mcgill without some kind of documentation.

[Truebluepatriot1012]

08:42 PM on 10/14/2010

But you might want to go to McGill if you were brought to Canada as a child and wanted to actually make a life and future for yourself in the country you _grew_up_ in, i.e. _your_ country though you don't have documents because of something that was beyond your own control.

That's the point of the Dream Act, which (public and some as-yet-unpublished polls show) most Americans would strongly support.

[George R Williams]

06:19 AM on 10/15/2010

No, I don't believe so. I believe that most Americans believe that the onus is on the parents and the pathetic governments of the countries they came from to provide for their people's welfare. We cannot be responsible for the welfare of every child in the world. Contrary to your assertion, there is no clamor from the majority of citizens to give special privilege to people who have successfully eluded justice for years.

[George R Williams]

09:40 AM on 10/14/2010

This blog seems to attract an extraordinary number of malcontents and misanthropes.

[wcb59]

11:50 AM on 10/14/2010

Welcome to the internet, Mr. Kettle.

[GrandOldParty]

01:00 PM on 10/14/2010

Now that's funny!!!

[kctlaw]

10:45 AM on 10/15/2010

Ha ha ha ha ha ........

[Peter007]

09:18 AM on 10/14/2010

Freedom to travel or immigrate is a human right. There is no foundation that has been presented that allows any government to prevent humans from living or immigrating to where ever they want to.

"all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to SECURE THESE RIGHTS , governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

So,... the government is ONLY created to SECURE the rights of people ( not citizens ).

Finally, ALL residents of a country or state should be allowed to vote in elections. Otherwise, those forbidden to vote will not be giving their consent to be governed.

[George R Williams]

09:30 AM on 10/14/2010

I beg to disagree. Your assertion is ridiculous. National sovereignty, the right to govern who enters the borders of a another is an internationally accepted premise and practiced by virtually every nation in the world. You are confused. The human right you speak of is the right to leave your homeland, no the right to enter another. The latter is held by the receiving nation, and it always will be, because people have the right to free association and to choose who lives among them, as a nation. Read the preamble to the Constitution of the US. It speaks of "We The People and "our posterity", which means that the nation was formed for the citizens who are born here or naturalized under rules established by our government. To believe that foreigners have equal standing with citizens defeats the concept. Who is enfranchised with the power of the vote? The Constitution says that the citizen holds that power, and that power is everything in a Republic.

[Peter007]

12:15 PM on 10/14/2010

Because something is "perceived" as an international standard doesn't make it so. AND, because it may be an international standard doesn't make it right or even give it legitimacy in the US.

There is no right of anyone to determine who lives among them. That right would mean denying the rights of other people to live where they want. The rights mentioned in the Constitution or Declaration, are not rights taken from other individuals.

The declaration is the moral foundation upon which the legitimacy of the Constitution was founded. You can put anything you want in the Constitution including slavery, but the purpose of that document is to insure Freedom for all people and not just citizens. Since it explicitly states that the Governed need to give consent to being governed,..... that concept is in conflict with not allowing residents to vote.

[Concerned1]

03:13 PM on 10/14/2010

Well said.

[CFL68]

12:53 PM on 10/14/2010

LOL - Someday you will wake up from this sophomoric righteousness.

You will be like - 'no way - I didn't say that - did I?'

And you will shudder with embarrassment.

You will finally learn that there is a difference between what fallible people imagine, and what fallible people manifest. Neither their imaginings. nor their manifestations, are perfect and right.

There is also a continuum of political progress that moves incrementally. Who is to say if that progress is even in the direction of improvement? I suppose we can hope.

But anyway - good luck with that. You may want to try spending time in the real world to help balance your perspective.

[Peter007]

01:29 PM on 10/14/2010

At 60 years old, I've had plenty of real world experience. Not much amazes me anymore.

Except this rope swing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMsdRdgZ16k&feature

[justsayno]

09:14 AM on 10/14/2010

It's about time...

[mass maritimer]

08:29 AM on 10/14/2010

I feel we are here illegally whenever I see an Indian name on a road sign and whenever I look at our disgusting overdeveloped sprawl....

Illegal immigration is not the problem; corporate fascism is the problem.

[George R Williams]

09:37 AM on 10/14/2010

Really? Do you realize that most corporations in this country are held by stockholders via mutual funds that are 401K retirement pensions?

I pity you, that you seem feel illegitimate in your own country. My only solution for you is to move elsewhere, as there is little hope to do away with all those excess citizens that are your neighbors.

[mass maritimer]

04:13 PM on 10/14/2010

I Pity you for resorting to childish attacks

[mass maritimer]

04:13 PM on 10/14/2010

and I lost a lot of money in my 401k, friend....

[Amy Keshe]

08:13 AM on 10/14/2010

Georgia colleges are officially crossed off my citizen children's lists of potential schools. These immigrant children's parents work for low wages and no benefits and have been proven to help our economy. Now Georgia sends the message that the children must remain uneducated and poor..... is this an attempt to keep them working for low wages? Modern day slavery! SHAME ON YOU GEORGIA!

[Sesame2009]

01:26 PM on 10/14/2010

Hear Hear. And only an idiot would flag you!!!

[CFL68]

03:46 PM on 10/14/2010

You'll have to cross off most other state colleges then.

They aren't immigrants. They are illegal immigrants. They have violated our laws.

These people may feel free go home and get educated. The USA is not responsible for educating citizens of other countries.

[clayboggess]

07:52 AM on 10/14/2010

Unfortunately the children of illegal immigrants are at the mercies of the decisions made by their parents. We must protect those who are already here legally and have supported this country by paying their taxes. Those who immigrated to this country legally and paid the price deserve preferential treatment over those who haven’t. Why should I pay for someone to go to college whose parent’s broke the law in place of those who want to go legally and have paid into the system?

Clay Boggess
http://www.BigEventFundraising.com

[George R Williams]

08:55 AM on 10/14/2010

Well said: No doubt that Amy Keshe would sing a different tune if her children were denied a seat in a college in Georgia because it was given to an illegal alien. These progressives hypocritically whine when their ox is gored.

[SBinF]

06:55 AM on 10/14/2010

Passing over qualified applicants in order to admit lesser qualified U.S. citizens. Gee, that sounds a lot like the hackneyed affirmative action caricature denounced so often by conservatives. SURELY you aren't advocating for affirmative action are you?! Quick, someone call Clarence Thomas, something is amiss!!1

[George R Williams]

08:56 AM on 10/14/2010

Gee, actually giving preferential treatment to citizens just because it's their country is reprehensible. That loyalty thing is so bothersome.

[SBinF]

11:12 AM on 10/14/2010

Loyalty is awesome, but denying service to people who're already here, and who only know America as home, ONLY because of decisions of their parents is what's really bothersome. What would you have the children of illegal immigrants do? Pick up from the only home they know and move to a foreign country they don't remember? How is that logistically feasible? How is illegal immigration any worse a crime than any other crime committed by a child's parent, to which they are a direct beneficiary? Shouldn't the issue of immigration be handled at the federal level? Perhaps if fewer people immigrated illegally, fewer illegals would have access to college. It's the reactionary bit that makes no sense, "let's allow them in, then screw them once they're here!"

[SBinF]

11:55 AM on 10/14/2010

And if we were really so concerned about the direction of our country, the lack of scientists, we would offer a path to legal residency for high achieving students. As a graduate of Georgia Tech, I can say that the U.S. should clamor to retain anyone (illegal or not) who can matriculate and finish a degree there.

[CFL68]

03:49 PM on 10/14/2010

What makes you say they are more qualified?

Isn't legal residency one of the qualifications?

[mikenjnyct]

05:04 AM on 10/14/2010

They are here ILLEGALLY!!!! Good. They shouldnt be allowed to attend a school that gets money from tax payers even out of state tuition still receives money from the state and fed. They dont pay any taxes and hurt our economy and culture. Key word here is illegal. They should literally be rounded up and forced to leave our country

[Peter007]

12:41 PM on 10/14/2010

First, they have not committed any criminal offense. Thats the opinion of the US Justice department. Deal with it.

Second. they do pay taxes and paying taxes has never been a criteria for receiving any government benefit. I doubt that 80% of the students attending this college pay any taxes.

Finally, they are legal residents of the state according to the criteria used to determine state residency. The criteria is being changed to accommodate those people that don't like a particular class of their fellow residents.

[CFL68]

01:17 PM on 10/14/2010

Peter,

Almost everything you said is either factually wrong or misconstrued. I acknowledge that you cannot recognize this.

Violating immigration laws is a violation of Federal law that carries with it the possibility of fines and imprisonment.

Paying taxes is an obligation of citizens according to the law. It funds the government that in return, in its own imperfect but somewhat accountable way, provides services to the people. It is a broadly defined transaction.

For fun please review:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_nationality_law

To your third point, they cannot possible be legal residents of a state if they are not legal residents. The simple 'rule of inheritance' applies.

But actually, when it comes down to it, your last line of defense is that positive law is arbitrary and invalid because it violates your universalist ideals.

[honoursplendor]

12:39 AM on 10/14/2010

Why is this a problem? Unlawfully present foreign nationals are not being "denied" any rights. They are just not being given the opportunity to further flout the laws they are not following. Sucks if your parents brought this upon you. But, guess what, the world isn't fair. Talk to your parents about their decision.

[Peter007]

09:21 AM on 10/14/2010

Poor logic.

Not supportable.

[honoursplendor]

03:55 PM on 10/16/2010

So four whole words but nothing substantive? Thanks for your excellent commentary.

[Ranta]

12:15 AM on 10/14/2010

Georgia could use another visit from General Sherman.

[George R Williams]

09:00 AM on 10/14/2010

Yes, it's disgusting that they are considering the welfare of citizens before that of foreigners, just as every Western, and most other nations are doing. Georgians should just subsidize the education of the rest of the world, after all, they can always raise taxes on the citizenry to pay for it. And our monetary resources are well known to be limitless. We can always borrow from the Chinese to pay for it.

[SBinF]

11:28 AM on 10/14/2010

Why stop at college? We should deny the children of illegal immigrants a basic education too. Throw the little bums out of elementary, middle, and high schools.

[Peter007]

12:46 PM on 10/14/2010

The criteria for receiving in state tuition has always been residency.
These people are Residents of the state.
PERIOD.
The criteria being used to determine residency is being changed and it has nothing to do with what state these people are residents of.

A new, unrelated criteria is being inserted to keep out a class of people. Its like India with their Class society.

[Just Bob]

11:28 PM on 10/13/2010

Illegal immigrants should not be able to use a restroom in the United States, let alone go to any school!

[Ranta]

12:19 AM on 10/14/2010

Our businesses want them here. You going say nothing when you pay more for fruits and vegetables or cement work?

[George R Williams]

09:12 AM on 10/14/2010

You know nothing about the vegetable/fruit business. You could double the cost of labor and it would only add a little bit more to your grocery costs. It's the middle men and the grocers that make the real money. We've been working towards automated labor for a couple hundred years and our progress has been frozen due the availability of cheap slave labor. Remember the cotton gin and McCormick reaper? Removing cotton seeds was once done by hand, as was the harvesting of grain. Tomatoes were once harvested by hand, (Braceros) and it's now done by machine. Grapes were once harvested by hand, and are now done by machine. Those arguments are primarily made by the new slave holders who you apparently support, along with most misguided progressives. Lastly, we don't need to add to the numbers of illiterate citizens in this country. No other country on earth would consider it good policy to accept 20 million citizens as future welfare clients.

[PLDgyrl]

09:59 AM on 10/14/2010

Um... I am against illegal immigration but let's remember they are humans.

[George R Williams]

06:50 AM on 10/15/2010

Then why don't we really help them, and the rest of the 80-million in Mexico, and not pander to their government, but make their politicians pay the penalty of their incompetence?

[eighthchord]

08:53 PM on 10/13/2010

I think the point of giving only those 3 options is because they don't want to enroll students who are here illegally. It is not rocket science. They're not being "forced to lie". That is insane.