<p>"The California Supreme Court decided unanimously Monday that illegal immigrants may continue to be eligible for in-state tuition rates at the state's colleges and universities rather than pay the higher rates charged to those who live out of state."</p>
<p>I don’t even know what to say to that except that I thought California was in enough trouble with their public college system.</p>
<p>This is great news. It carries on the proud tradition our country has of welcoming immigrants, many of whom were our very own relatives!</p>
<p>Hilarious that someone in this country illegally gets to pay less tuition than someone from Nevada or Arizona.</p>
<p>Funniest thing I have heard today.</p>
<p>Inquisitive…This article is about illegal immigrants not immigrants who followed the proper channels to be in America.</p>
<p>Momma-three: I know. This is not different at all from past stories of immigration.</p>
<p>Sorry, but everyone in my family came to the US legally.</p>
<p>The polar opposites of legal and illegal makes all the difference in the world.</p>
<p>Dadinator: You might be surprised about your own family history. I know my grandfather did not come clean about his immigration irregularities until he was well into his old age. Some people never do. Maybe your family doesn’t have any tales to tell. Many do. This story is as old as our country.</p>
<p>Also, most of the students in school without status came here with or at the behest of their parents as young children. They had no say in the matter. It is wrong to hold them accountable for decisions of their parents. Many of them have no memory of their home countries, don’t even speak the language of their home countries and are as American as any of our children.</p>
<p>Inquisitive, many people (myself included) know exactly how their legal immigrant ancestors came to this country, often through Ellis Island. We have the documents and legal records to prove it.</p>
<p>And by the way…the first thing my grandparents did upon arriving in America was to learn English. The second thing (for my grandfather) was to enlist in the US military and risk his life for his beloved new country.</p>
<p>Break the rules, come here illegally, and then expect the current citizens to pay for their or their children’s college education? It never would have occurred to them…they were too busy working to make themselves worthy of their new country. They would have found today’s illegal immigrants shameful.</p>
<p>The children of today’s illegal immigrants did not choose to come to this country illegally, momofsongbird, and knows English and love “their country” as much as their legal counterparts.</p>
<p>That may be true, but it doesn’t entitle them to special financial privileges for college tuition, when their status (by their choice or their parents’) is …illegal.</p>
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Did you have any ancestors on the Mayflower?</p>
<p>Post #10: That doesn’t really address the issue, as no child chooses where to live.</p>
<p>The fact that the child didn’t have a choice when the parents decided to bring him across the border illegally doesn’t trump our nation’s laws.</p>
<p>It is ridiculous, that’s all I have to say, and this is coming from an immigrant - came off a plane, applied for a green card and got citizenship at 18, parents paid taxes from day one. Why not spend the money to educated Americans from out of state? </p>
<p>Children do not have a choice where they live, but the only reason many people move to the US illegally is to give the best FREE education for their children. They may stop risking their life in getting to this country if there was no pot of gold at the end of rainbow. We have quite frankly created this problem ourselves.</p>
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<p>I like how our grandparents who managed to come to this country unable to speak a lick of English and having no merit other than not getting sick during the boat ride across the Atlantic deserve the benefits of the country more than a kid that’s grown up in the US their whole life and doesn’t even speak their native country’s language.</p>
<p>^yes</p>
<p>10 char</p>
<p>This all seems like pretty small potatoes to me. I saw Inside Job this weekend, the story of American citizens who robbed us blind, and it wasn’t for small amounts of money either.</p>
<p>My parents who paid taxes all of their life, put 4 kids through school, they are on social security, not eligible for medicaid or public assistance. Their friends, who they play mahjong with, and never worked or paid taxes in this country have a 2 bedroom apartment paid by NJ government and a cleaning person once a week. They get all of their health care paid for on top of everything. How do they do that? They are American citizens because of their children, they leave all of their asset back home or transfer to their kids, so they have less than 10k in their bank account. If their kids wanted to sponsor for their parents to come to this country, why shouldn’t they be financially responsible for them?</p>
<p>My friend had a babysitter 30 years ago who was illegal. When she got pregnant, she had her delivery all paid for, and 2 years of free well baby care. She complained to me once that she couldn’t have a dedicated doctor at the clinic and how unfair that was. I wanted to tell her that I didn’t have a baby yet because I couldn’t afford it. </p>
<p>I know all the arguments about how it’s cheaper if we were to make sure everyone was well cared for and educated once they got to this country, but it is precisely the reason why so many immigrants flock to this country. If we truly do not have a problem with illegal immigrants (cost ), then I would say lets spread our wealth. But if we want to prevent people from coming to the US illegally, then don’t make it so tempting. </p>
<p>When CA could barely educate it’s own residents, it is unthinkable to me that they would use that little resource for illegal residents.</p>
<p>Good points, Oldfort.</p>
<p>California has a budget deficit of $25 billion.</p>
<p>Unconscionable that they are spending money on subsidized tuition for people who are violating the law by being here when the state is virtually bankrupt.</p>
<p>“Unconscionable that they are spending money on subsidized tuition for people who are violating the law by being here when the state is virtually bankrupt.”</p>
<p>“they” is whom exactly? i think it will be those paying federal taxes once the state of california is bankrupt. there is no rationale for this program except to pay political homage to the hispanic voting block. but just wait until the new DREAM act is law. in-state tuition is a cakewalk compared to full citizenshi p after just 2 years in college (with government assistance). just remember, they’re taking jobs that american don’t want. yeah. outrageous</p>