Immigration foes picked wrong battle

It was a relief to see Senior U.S. District Judge Richard Rogers throw out the year-old lawsuit challenging the Kansas law allowing certain eligible immigrants to pay in-state tuition to state colleges. Anti-immigrant groups can be relied upon to pick another fight but should find a better target. This law passed because lawmakers realized it was wrong to punish the innocent children of illegal residents by charging them three times as much as their fellow Kansas high school graduates to go on to college and, that was in the state’s economic development interests to have educated residents.
Posted by Rhonda Holman

6 Comments

  1. Joe Williams
    Posted July 6, 2005 at 12:09 am | Permalink

    This lawsuit was also brought by out-of-state people.

    I think what we have is a good thing for the people of Kansas. The immigrants are here to stay, and should take advantage of our great college education system.

  2. Anon
    Posted July 6, 2005 at 10:19 am | Permalink

    The lawsuit should have been allowed to proceed. For me it’s not about legal vs. illegal but instead about equal protection. The out of state students should also receive a break as the non-resident illegals.

  3. Joe Williams
    Posted July 6, 2005 at 11:29 am | Permalink

    I disagree with Anon. There are stipulations on the illegal immigrant children. They are residents of Kansas, must have attended at least 3 years of high school in Kansas and graduated or at least obtained a GED from Kansas and must be seeking legal status as soon as they are eliable.

    I think that is fair!

  4. Zoom
    Posted July 6, 2005 at 7:25 pm | Permalink

    Anon:

    How about you putting up scholarship money for those poor out-of-state students?

  5. J R
    Posted July 6, 2005 at 11:31 pm | Permalink

    What part of “illegal” do people not understand? I myself find it highly offensive that a student from some other American state wanting to attend a Kansas university must pay more tuition than the child of an un-welcome, illegal invader of this nation. Round ‘em up and ship them OUT.

  6. J R
    Posted July 6, 2005 at 11:32 pm | Permalink

    What part of “illegal” do people not understand? I myself find it highly offensive that a student from some other American state wanting to attend a Kansas university must pay more tuition than the child of an un-welcome, illegal invader of this nation. Round ‘em up and ship them OUT.