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Lawmakers try again to hike tuition for illegals

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Lee | 2:36 a.m. Jan. 28, 2008
This is an interesting tactic, trying to find a caucasian illegal from England for this latest story. Illegal is still illegal, regardless of ethnicity or country of origin. Perhaps this writer has spent too much time with the various Hispanic groups who think opposition to illegal immigration is related to race?

It's sad to see a young LDS person begin adulthood in dishonesty. She would be much better off returning to her native England and applying for a student visa to return on legal footing. I've heard that student visas can be granted in as little as 3 months. Imagine the burden that could be lifted from off this young woman, knowing that she is here legally, without fear of being caught and deported.

It seem cruel to me that the state would openly encourage these young illegals who are transitioning from involuntary illegal status to choosing to remain illegals once they reach adulthood.

It also doesn't make sense to take precious tax-dollars and subsidize the education of illegals who cannot work here without breaking the law. I'm not aware of a right-to-work exemption offered to illegals who open their own business.
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Anonymous | 6:02 a.m. Jan. 28, 2008
Wow, why would Elizabeth not want to go back to Great Britin? Isnt thier currency stronger than ours? Alot of young people move away for college, so whats the big fuss.. At least thier she could work, and go to school. By the time she finishes schooling and with the money she saves working in GB she could capitalize on the exchange rate to open a business in the US when she legally immigrates. I just love how the pro illegal immigration media tries to paint a situation like this with dire dispair to turn the tables in thier favor. I dont buy it.
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Ronald R. | 6:07 a.m. Jan. 28, 2008
I do not appreciate the pro-illegale alien, biased slant Deseret News and Deborah Bulkeley consistantly put on immigration issues. The social and economic strain illegal people put on our system is too heavy. They must return to their homelands and come here the right way. If it takes ten years then thats the way it has to be.
My son-in-law is from England. He came here legally and has done quite well without the fear of breaking the law.
My work has been taken over (forcefully) by illegal aliens and I now face an uncertain future because of illegal aliens undercuting the local wage rate.
Enough talk! Time for a call to arms and solve the matter the way George Washington did.
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Dahkta D | 6:41 a.m. Jan. 28, 2008
Once again the parents fail their children and blame the government. THEY the parents, and their children, entered the US with a non-immigrant visa, knowing full requirements. THEY, the parents flaunted the regulation and law and REMAINED longer than permitted. Fortunate for the parents, their son was able to petition for them. The parents received THEIR greencards (permanent residency) which they should have immediately filed for their children. But they didn't. There are several waivers available for the children while their applications go through the process. It seems the attorney involved lacks any credible knowledge on representing immigration matters. This is a regretable situation that can only be blamed on the parents. And perhaps, this story may bring to the forefront, MEXICO is not the only country where illegals come from!
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Paul | 7:52 a.m. Jan. 28, 2008
"They are taking away our last chance to have a future of our own"

When government officials wants to be seen as having solutions to all problems, then all problems, even those caused by individuals' actions or inactions, become problems CAUSED by the government that the government has responsibility to solve. To talk about personal responsibility or the law is seen as simply uncompassionate and cruel.

How can you take away something that shouldn't have been there in the first place?

When our elected officials act like disfunctional parents, solving problems that citizens (or in this case not even citizens) brought on themselves, they we get disfunctional children (opps, citizens). I want a government that will protect me from others, not one that will kiss every fall-down booboo.
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Mahonri | 7:51 a.m. Jan. 28, 2008
She is here illegally. Why should she or any other criminal expect protection and benefits? If the schools find out they have a duty to call campus security or the police and turn her over.
She is a criminal so treat her like one. Deport this chick and prosecute any accomplices at the school for hiding her.
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Wake up | 7:58 a.m. Jan. 28, 2008
Oh and I'm sure with the tuition hike they would just tuck their tales behind them, give up and go back to their home country (that they know nothing about since they lived here just about their entire life). The only thing the higher tuition does is to further eliminate any chance of becoming a productive illegal as apposed to a unproductive one. We complain about all of them, yet its really the Mexicans who commit crimes and raise our medical premiums, who really bother us, right? Come on isn't it? Its not about breaking the law, we all cut corners, please! They are always going to be here, but if they want to make a living and produce instead of take, then lets not take away that opportunity. Breaking the law excuse is just a cover up to our prejudices. Read Grapes of Wrath. Though they were not illegal, but they were treated as such and any opportunity to progress was taken away from them, then all the locals complained about them because they weren't productive.
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Another | 8:00 a.m. Jan. 28, 2008
I have a good friend who came to the US (legally) from Canada and was married to a US citizen and has US citizen children. However, her husband died before she could obtain her citizenship. After he died, she was unable to obtain a green card or social security card for three years. She could be in the US legally, but could not WORK in the US legally. I believe that is the case with Elizabeth. She can BE here legally, but cannot WORK here legally, and going home to England will make that situation worse, not better.

Back to my friend. She remarried about a year ago to another US citizen. This may help her get citizenship quicker, but she is still on a waiting list. In the interim, without a green card, she can't get a social security number. And without a social security number, she can't get a green card. The fact that she doesn't have a social security number has made it impossible for her to be added to her new husband's health insurance.
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Chuck | 8:04 a.m. Jan. 28, 2008
This is such stupid legislation! It is not the student's fault they are here. They and their parents pay taxes here. This legislation condemns people and their futures, making education harder to get. The students didn't break any law. Why punish them?!!

It is in OUR interest to provide a tuition break for all residents of the state. Education pays dividends, both to the student and our society. Their parents ARE paying taxes that pay for this help for students. Why do we allow ourselves to become polarized into thinking this "defends" our country when it does not!
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I'm sorry but. . . . | 8:31 a.m. Jan. 28, 2008
illegal is illegal. I have even less sympathy for illegals from England than I do for those from Latin American (and I don't have any sympathy for them!). The parents of this girl started it all and got rewarded with green cards, which is too bad. They should have been shipped back, bag and baggage, to England. I knew an English couple who got lucky with the Amnesty Bill and a lot of us who were in the meeting when the woman bragged about it were not amused. And that was before the current crop of illegals overwhelmed us.
And why should illegals (of any color) get a tution break? Our children sure don't! Make a dollar too much and they can't even get student loans.
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Scooter | 8:36 a.m. Jan. 28, 2008
Wow, what a difference (hypocritical, that is) between the known illegals here and those that are here doing the paperwork to stay here legally.

For a great example look at this girl (& others), then see the story about the family from India, that runs the hotel business in Green River. They were deported since they were following the rules, leaving behind their boy to run the family business.

If you are here illegally,(no matter what race, color, creed, gender, shape, religion, etc.), don't ask for special favors, don't act like it's the governments fault, don't act shocked when you can't get a job, just get busy on finding a way to comply with the law, become legal & you are welcome here in the melting pot.

AIMHO
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Another(2) | 8:38 a.m. Jan. 28, 2008
I recently met up with a former business school student of mine. She came to the US (Boston) from Iceland in the late 90s on a student visa. While in business school, she married another Icelander who was doing his medical residency in Boston after getting his MD from Johns Hopkins. They went back to Iceland for five years and then she got sponsored by a major US corporate. Her visa allowed her family to get visas as well, so he and their 2 kids retuned to Boston, perfectly legally. He took a few months of to get them and the kids settled and then applied back at the hospital he interne at. When the hospital tried to sponsor his visa, they found out that he was supposed to apply for the visa before leaving Iceland, but that since he had already come to the US under his wife's visa, he is subject to some quota on foreign doctors living (legally) in the US. It will take 5-10 years before he can get permission to work. Apparently there are thousands of foreign doctors on the wait list. They are here legally, want to work but can't get a green card.
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Legal | 8:38 a.m. Jan. 28, 2008
If you come here legally you should get all of the benefits of a legal resident. But come here illegally and suffer the consequences. That is the way is should be. The law was broken by her parents and they need to fix that so that their daughters will have a chance here. I realize these girls did not have much of a choice but it can all be corrected by doing what it takes to become legal, no matter how difficult that may be. Then they can fulfill their American dream.
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really? | 8:39 a.m. Jan. 28, 2008
These children of illegals are not criminals. This girl's parents are paying income taxes. That money pays for public education of which our state colleges are a part of. Therefore, her parents do pay. The immigration laws need to be changed. Legal immigration in this situation is flawed.

It is not right to punish the child for the sins of the father and mother. This child should be eligible for citizenship in a world of fairness. Should the U.S. remain unfair? If these children are not educated, they will not resort to self employment, they will resort to crime to survive. Desperate people do desperate things.
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Heartless and Cruel | 8:45 a.m. Jan. 28, 2008
What part of she came here at 4 years old don't some of you understand. Just ship her back to England? She should go back willingly? All she knows is Utah, through no fault of her own. To think she can simply pack up and go back to England is ridiculous. Where's she gonna go there? And for the sad soul ready to take up arms and go "George Washington" on the immigrants, simply pathetic. Go get an education so you can offer more to society than the cheap menial labor position you're about to lose to an immigrant.
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cagirl | 8:48 a.m. Jan. 28, 2008
Sounds like a wasted space at SUU if she can't even work legally when she's done. I bet there is another qualified student who could actually use the education who really wanted to go there. Ironic.
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re Chuck | 8:52 a.m. Jan. 28, 2008
Actually, the stupid legislation is the one that makes these kids "illegal" when they and their parents have done everything legal up to this point. How stupid that legally filing for their children's green card can result in 10 years deportation. Illegal is illegal, but if we're going to hold the line on illegal immigration, we need to change some of these stupid laws that make otherwise upright and contributing people "illegal"
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Brad G. | 8:54 a.m. Jan. 28, 2008
We need to recognize that the legislature is not looking at "raising tuition" for undocumented students. Rather, they want to stop using tax dollars to subsidize the education of people who don't pay taxes. Undocumented workers do not pay income taxes, so why should the state use tax money to subsidize their educations??
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Do like Washington? | 8:54 a.m. Jan. 28, 2008
Oh wait, George Washington was breaking the laws of the land too. He was a leader of an illegal revolution against the laws of the time. Should he have just turned himself in to the nearest British magistrate or whatever and submitted himself to be punished according to the laws then in effect?

Don't even try to use the founding fathers to back up your claims. Their actions were just as rebellious and illegal, if not more so than the majority of these immigrants just trying to make a better life for themselves.
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KSue | 8:59 a.m. Jan. 28, 2008
I get so tired of hearing the complaints from illegals. They are getting their education paid for while I have to pay for legal children. My husband and I pay for two children to go to college with out help from our own government. But our government pays for all these illegals. Where is the justice in that?
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