Comments about ‘Softer on immigration? Poll shows Utahns are split on giving in-state tuition rates to undocumented’

It appears that the majority still favors ending this policy. 51/43 is a pretty decisive figure, at least in presidential or primary politics.

I still haven't heard a decent argument from the illegal alien supporters as to why the state should spend money to education illegal aliens when they will not be able to work without committing perjury and/or a felony?

Without a change to Federal law, these young illegals have no hope to rectify their situation by remaining as illegals here. There best bet would be to temporarily leave and apply for a student visa. According to the Mexican consulate, these are very easy to obtain in as little as 3 weeks.

Why not change the law to only allow in-state tuition to former illegal aliens who completed at least 3 years of Utah high school and have obtained a legitimate student visa? For the first time, that would create an incentive to do the right, moral, legal thing.

By keeping the status quo, the State is complicit in continuing the illegal status of these student. That seems to be the opposite of compassion.

Repealing the in-state tuition does nothing to curb or deter illegal immigration.

If lawmakers want to deter illegal immigration, then punish employers.

Repealing in state tuition to persons who have gone to a Utah high school for three years and graduated only sends a message they an education only has value for certain persons. Everybody benefits from a college education, regardless of the legal status of th person.

I agree so much the comment above. Reward those who are willing to comply with the law and apply for a visa. Its too dangerous to let the system remain broken and at the same time we can work on making it better for those who started life here under that system and are now willing to try and do it the right way.

If we give in-state tuition to illegal immigrants that would be rewarding people for breaking the law.

We should reward people who can prove that they are where they are legally -- not reward people who can prove that they are where they are illegally.

Illegal immigration is a minor crime that we don't need to overreact to, but it is against the law and we should reward those that follow the law and give no incentive to anyone to break the law.

Should an illegal immigrant from any other country in the world have their tuition partly paid for by the taxpayers of Utah, while we charge higher tuition to people who are attending Utah's public universities legally who are from another state in the USA?

That wouldn't be just and it doesn't make any sense.

Opportunity, yes ! for those who obey the law.

Someone in college no longer is a child, but of legal age and an illegal in the country unless born here.

"Just last month, 63 percent favored repealing a law that gives in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants at Utah's public colleges and universities. But a new poll shows that now Utahns are pretty evenly split on the issue"

No it doesn't. a 51-41 vote means a slight drop depending on if the exact same wording was used in the poll. There is a large percentage who are uncommitted. How many were before? You can twist stats to make them say anything you want. After doing some of the polls, and hearing their leading questions, I now refuse to do them.

Well,,,, Gee,

In this day and age of LIES and DECEPTION coming from the media, federal, state, and local government, from big business, entertainment, Hollywood, SCIENCE, RELIGION, even ACADEMIA,.....It is sure comforting to know there is one thing left we can all depend on to get THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH--- Any recent Poll.

One thing about opinion polls to watch is the margin of error.

A margin of error of 6.5% is huge! One way to look at that error is that 51% supporting repeal could be as high as 57.5%, with keeping the law being 34.5%. Or reverse that and suddenly you have only 44.5% supporting repeal with 47.5% wanting to keep the law.

Dan Jones is a sloppy polster. Add to this it is sloppy reporting to do a story with a margin of error so large. All it would take is a few more hours of all the callers at Dan Jones and Associates to reach another 100 people and suddenly the margin of error is down in the 3.5-4% range. Then you have a breakdown that is much, much more comfortable.

Sloppy polling and dicey reportiing. You would think the numbers would hold after they call another 100 people but I have seen numbers shift significantly from the 250th phone call to the 350th.

Who knows but fun story. Gets the front page, headline, etc. And moot point anyway since the Gov is going to veto it and you need 50 votes in the House to override.

Next subject.

the DNews keeps writing a very biased and one sided story on ILLEGALS, these are not immigrants and the children are old enough to know they are not legal and should not be reaping the benefits of a legal immigrant or citizen. They should have to get citizenship or go back to their country of birth and get educated there or demand such from their leaders of their country. Why do they have more rights then those that follow the legal process?

As with all of these polls, I would like to see the questions that were asked and the statistics regarding the 241 people being asked them.

Why not send those students who get visas to college on the dime of those who want them to go? Why is the state funding people who are not even citizens of the United States when there are certainly citizen students within our state boundaries who could use the boost that these funds would give?

In a show of good faith the church should discount tuition at BYU for illegals. They could even cut it by the same amount that illegals save by getting in-state tuition! Our aid to illegals should be complete- we must help them assimilate into our economy, culture, and most importantly our religion. Cutting tuition at BYU is the most prudent way of doing this.

With a poll of only 241 people and a error variable of 6.4%, a change of 12% (63% to 51%) doesn't appear that significant to me. Especially when a difference of 10% is considered by the Deseret News to be “pretty evenly split”. Polling a mere 241 people and trumpeting a change of only 12% while calling 10% a tie doesn’t strike me as a very valid method of determining the true state of public opinion.

If we want to turn this into a referendum, like the school voucher bill, perhaps the Deseret News should do more than simply publishing questionable polling data and actually sponsor such a movement.

I wish with all my heart that these people could enjoy the American Dream with a clear conscience - however, THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE because they broke our immigration law. They broke it because it was inconvenient to wait in line and to push through their legal relatives here for immigration change. Then when it becomes inconvenient to obey other laws, it's easier for them to do. Like stopping when they run over a child in Springville last year, and 6 months later in Layton - just an example of inconvenient laws...

Please - Mr Yiapas - honor the laws of our land and persuade your people who are here illegally to STOP breaking our laws. Persuade our FEDERAL government to assign more money and people to worker visas so that your people can come here LEGALLY. I have compassion for the beggars on street corners too - but I also know that there are places they could go for food and shelter, if that's what they wanted. Stop preying on my heart for compassion for law breakers. It's wrong that they are here. It's wrong that they don't push their own government for reforms.

All this controversy ... 51/43 is certainly a split. A clear majority would be closer to 71/23. In my opinion, the controversy stems from uncertainty about WHO should take responsibility for educating children. Is it the nation of birth? Is it the nation of citizenship? Is it the parents? Is it the state where the parents reside? Is it the state where the student resides?
Explain this to me: If my grandson lives in Virginia and is a U.S. citizen, why must he pay out-of-state tuition to attend Utah State University when the son of an undocumented worker (not a U.S. citizen) does not? Perhaps our state legislatures should define "resident" as a U.S. citizen who lives and works in a particular state for a required amount of time.
Compassion is a wonderful thing; compassion with the risk of destroying a work ethic and the order of our government is not.

Two points.
1. Make it easier to become a citizen, fix the system that is not working.
2. What part of illegal are we trying to ignore? It is time the elected representatives step up to their duty and enforce the laws or change them. Illegal immigration is undermining our society in every way. How is giving advantages to people who break the law helping them? Wages are suppressed in all the areas the illegals infiltrate. The National Organization for Women (NOW) had a great program regarding how illegals negatively affect women. All the money spent on subsidized housing, free medical care that is closing hundreds of hospitals in border states, the jails are filling up...auto insurance rates have skyrocketed because illegals generally do not have it so those who have it pay. Spending billions of dollars educating illegals (free breakfast, lunch, bus rides, etc).
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS EQUATION? Do the right thing in life...if you are illegal, you are not entitled to benefits. PERIOD.
Time for George Bush and Jon Hunstman to do their jobs!!! I am a staunch Republican and this is a pathetic situation.

The hysteria surrounding the immigration issue seems to be dying down, as cooler heads are starting to prevail. People are realizing that a hard working, well educated person, is of value to American society, no matter what their immigration status. There are a lot of good approaches to the immigration problem, but arbitrarily punishing college bound individuals isn't one of them.

So, you'll just continue doing polls until you get the one that supports your editorial position, soft on illegal immigration. Doesn't change the illegality that the majority of citizens still want addressed.

How much does it cost tax payers to give in-state tuition? Or is it paid for through private donors?

When the military instituted the GI bill, many said it was too expensive and wondered where it would be paid from. Before that time, a college education was available only to those who were wealthy. However, the GI bill provided a way for education to come to thousands of people. The tax revenues from people educated by the GI bill has paid for the program many times over and plays a large role in the success of this nation during the last several decades. Education is the key to a successfull economy and is one of the only ways for people to break out of poverty. The undocumented people who lived their childhood lives in the US will undoubtably benefit from the ability to get an education but like the GI bill, will also benefit the US economy and generate tax revenue. Furthermore, these people's children will be citzens and will be a drain on the welfare system if we do not allow their parents an education.

I agree no free tuition to kids who are illegals but I do like the statement that only allow in-state tuition to former illegal aliens who completed at least 3 years of Utah high school and have obtained a legitmate student visa. Lets pressure the US gove. to speed up its immigration process by using a "peace corps" type help from retired Seniors to get them thru the process.